43 
fPH 


O 

o 

UJ 
>- 


THE  PALMER  METHOD  of  BUSINESS  WRITING 


A  Series  of  Self-teaching  Lessons  in  Rapid,  Plain,  Unshaded, 
Coarse-pen,  Muscular  Movement  Writing  for  Use  in  All 
Schools,  Public  or  Private,  Where  an  Easy  and  Legible  Hand- 
writing   is    the   Object  Sought ;     Also    for    the    Home    Learner 

BY  A.  N.  PALMER,   EDITOR  OF  THE  AMERICAN   PENMAN 


Published   by  THE  A.   N.    PALMER  COMPANY 

NEW  YORK  BOSTON  CHICAGO  CEDAR  RAPIDS.  IOWA 

COPTRISHT.  1S01.  By    A.    N.  PALMER  COPYRIGHT.   ISM.  BY  A.  N.  PALMER  COPTHrCHT.  I91J,   BY   A.  N.  PALMER  COPYRIGHT.    191S.   BY  A.   H.   PALMER 


j^N  EXPLANATION.— The  object  of  this  book  is  to 
AjL  teach  rapid,  easily-executed,  business  writing.  It  has 
^  ^  not  been  written  to  exploit  any  one's  skill  as  a  pen 
artist.  It  aims  to  be  of  use  to  those  who  are  ambitious  to 
become  good,  practical  business  writers.  The  lessons  it  con- 
tains are  not  experimental,  but  have  been  the  means  of 
guiding  millions  of  boys  and  girls,  young  men  and  women  to 
a  good  business  style  of  writing. 

As  will  be  seen  at  a  glance,  the  Palmer  Method  of  Business 
Writing  has  nothing  in  common  with  copy-books  which  have 
been  so  largely  used  in  public  schools  for  more  than  half  a 
century.  If  they  are  right,  this  book  is  wrong.  The  two 
methods  of  teaching  writing  are  absolutely  antagonistic. 

In  teaching  writing,  as  in  other  subjects,  the  final  result 
should  be  the  criterion.  Pupils  who  follow  absolutely  the 
Palmer  Method  plan  never  fail  to  become  good  penmen. 
On  the  other  hand,  no  one  ever  learned  to  write  a  good,  free, 
rapid,  easy,  and  legible  hand  from  any  copy-book  that  was 
ever  made. 

The  copy-book  has  but  one  purpose — to  secure  absolute 
mechanical  accuracy.  The  copy-book  headline  is  usually 
first  carefully  penciled  by  a  skilled  penman  after  a  given 
model,  and  shows  none  of  the  individuality  of  the  penman 
employed  in  its  construction.     The  penciled  copy  is  given  to 

I 


a  skilled  script-engraver,  who  engraves  it  by  hand  and  further 
perfects  it  wherever  possible.  This  impossible  and  lifeless 
ideal  the  child  is  required  to  imitate  through  long,  dreary 
pages  of  copying.     No  wonder  he  fails! 

It  has  been  proved,  through  at  least  two  generations,  that 
the  copy-book  kills  individuality  and  makes  freedom  of 
movement  impossible.  It  compels  slow  finger-action  in  the 
formation  of  letters,  giving  a  fair  degree  of  accuracy  where 
only  slow  writing  is  required ;  but  the  pupil's  work  inevitably 
becomes  scribbling  when  the  least  speed  is  attempted.  In 
the  Palmer  Method,  freedom  of  movement  is  the  foundation, 
and,  through  a  constantly  repeated  series  of  rapid  drills,  the 
application  of  movement  becomes  a  fi.xed  habit  of  the  learner. 
Under  this  plan  the  pupil's  first  attempt  is  naturally  crude, 
but  every  drill  practiced  in  strict  accord  with  the  printed 
instructions  tends  to  add  grace  and  accuracy  to  his  work. 
The  sure  result  is  a  handwriting  that  embodies  these  four 
essentials — legibility,  rapidity,  ease,  and  endurance. 

The  drills  and  copies  in  this  book  are  actual  writing, 
executed  with  a  rapid,  easy,  muscular  movement,  and  then 
photo-engraved,  thus  retaining  the  individuality  of  the  writer. 

Pupils  practicing  from  these  lessons  acquire  the  general 
style  of  the  copies,  but,  at  the  same  time,  there  is  left  to  them 
the  possibility  of  developing  their  own  individuality. 


r3^  M  jdL'. 


^4- 


SOME   PALMER    METHOD    FACTS 


A    PERSONAL  TALK 


Read  and  Carefully  Consider  Everything  on  These  Three  Pages  Before  Beginning  the 
Study  and  Practice  of  the  Lessons.  Failing  to  follow  These  Simple  Suggestions, 
You    are    Likely    to    Waste    Many    Hours,    Weeks,    and    Months    in  Useless    Practice 


THE  PALMER  METHOD  is  a  text-book  on  practical 
writing  and  should  be  studied  as  such — not  treated  as 
a  copy-book.  The  printed  instructions  are  the  author's 
direct  personal  talks  to  pupils — the  same  things  he  would 
say  to  you  from  day  to  day  were  he  personally  to  teach  you. 
These  instructions  are  of  more  importance  than  the  copies. 
They  tell  you  how  to  develop  and  use  the  muscular  movement 
in  writing.  If  you  do  not  follow  the  instructions,  you  will  fail. 
Pupils  who  followed  absolutely  the  Palmer  Method  plan 
have  always  learned  to  write  well.  Pupils  who  have  not  first 
studied  the  plainly  printed  directions  and  followed  them  abso- 
lutely, have  partly  or  completely  failed.  Failure  is  unnecessary. 
Thousands  of  young  men  and  women  have  made  the 
Palmer  Method  of  Business  Writing  the  stepping-stone  to 
positions  in  business  offices,  where  commercial  advancement 
rewarded  faithful  service. 

In  hundreds  of  classes  where  the  Palmer  Method  has 
been  faithfully  studied  and  completely  mastered,  periods 
devoted  to  written  spelling,  composition,  examinations,  and 
other  written  work  have  been  reduced  more  than  half.  Time 
thus  saved  has  been  put  to  very  good  use  in  other  directions. 
In  the  beginning  stages  of  the  work,  until  good  position, 
muscular  relaxation,  correct  and  comfortable  penholding, 
and  muscular  movement  as  a  habit  in  writing  have  been 


M895772 


acquired,  extra  practice  may  be  necessary;  but  the  extra 
time  will  be  saved  many  times  over  in  all  written  work  later. 

Muscular  movement  writing  means  good,  healthful  pos- 
ture, straight  spinal  columns,  eyes  far  enough  away  from  the 
paper  for  safety,  and  both  shoulders  of  equal  height.  These 
features  alone  should  be  sufficient  to  encourage  boys  and  girls 
to  master  a  physical  training  system  of  writing  such  as  is  pre- 
sented in  the  following  pages,  remembering  that  it  is  impos- 
sible to  do  good  muscular  movement  writing  in  twisted, 
unhealthful  positions,  or  with  stiff  and  rigid  muscles. 

Straight  line  and  oval  drills  are  of  no  value  except  as  they 
lead  to  writing.  They  are  the  means  through  which  to  gain 
the  muscular  control  that  will  enable  pupils  to  master  an 
ideal  permanent  style  of  rapid,  plain-as-print  writing. 

When  pupils  have  learned  good  posture,  correct  penhold- 
ing, and  how  to  use  muscular  movement  in  making  a  good 
two-space  compact  oval,  they  are  ready  to  begin  to  learn  how 
to  write  well.  Too  many  pupils  think  they  have  really 
learned  how  to  write  well  when  they  are  able  to  make  some 
of  the  very  simple  drills  in  correct  posture  at  the  right  speed 
and  in  correct  rhythm.  That  is  really  the  starting-point 
toward  good  penmanship,  and  should  be  followed  immedi- 
ately by  the  practice  of  words,  and,  indeed,  by  the  use  of  the 
movement  in  all  written  work. 


Study  and  practice  go  hand  in  hand  in  securing  the  best 
results  in  the  shortest  possible  time.  Keep  the  Manual  open 
before  you  as  you  practice  ;  study  and  make  frequent  and 
careful  comparisons  of  your  work  with  the  drills  if  you  wish 
to  make  rapid  progress. 

Your  letters,  words,  and  sentences  should  occupy  the  same 
amount  of  space  they  do  in  the  Manual.  Always,  before 
beginning  practice,  the  drill  should  be  studied  in  every  little 
detail  until  the  correct  picture  is  in  your  mind. 

Just  how  and  where  does  the  first  line  in  a  letter  begin;  is 
it  made  with  an  upward  or  downward  stroke;  how  high  is 
the  letter;  how  wide  is  each  part;  how  much  running  space 
does  it  occupy;  in  what  direction  should  the  pen  move  in 
beginning,  continuing,  and  completing  the  letter;  and  at 
what  rate  of  speed  should  the  letter  or  word  be  written? 
These  are  questions  that  should  constantly  occupy  you  as 
soon  as  automatic  muscular  movement  has  been  established. 
In  fact,  as  was  said  before,  study  and  practice  must  go  hand 
in  hand,  if  good  results  are  to  be  the  outcome. 

Blackboard  copies,  though  written  by  expert  penmen,  are 
seen  at  many  different  angles,  and  at  different  distances,  and 
do  not  give  correct  mental  impressions. 

It  is  highly  important  not  only  that  pupils  have  copies  of 
the  Manual,  but  that  they  study  the  printed  instructions  and 
drills,  closely  and  constantly. 

The  plainly  printed  instructions  in  the  Palmer  Method 
tell  you  step  by  step  exactly  what  to  do  and  how  to  do  it, 
in  order  to  progress  steadily  and  surely  toward  the  desired  end. 

Millions  of  American  boys  and  girls  have  learned  a 
permanent  style  of  rapid,  easy,  legible,  and  beautiful  writing 
by  carefully  and  patiently  following  the  printed  directions 


found  in  the  Palmer  Method  of  Business  Writing.  Final 
results  have  then  been  delightful  to  pupils,  teachers,  parents, 
and  school  officials. 

The  first  step  is  a  correct  understanding  of  the  required 
position.  Study  the  pictures  on  pages  twelve,  fourteen,  and 
fifteen,  of  a  pupil  who  has  learned  how  to  sit  so  as  to  use  the 
large  tireless  muscles  of  his  arms  to  the  best  possible  advan- 
tage. Study  every  little  detail  of  these  pictures  from  the 
crown  of  the  head  to  the  shoes.  Study  particularly  and 
closely  the  arms,  the  relation  of  one  arm  to  the  other,  the 
position  at  the  desk,  the  distance  of  the  body  from  the  desk, 
and  the  positions  of  the  fingers  preparatory  to  taking  the 
penholder. 

As  progress  is  made  in  the  more  advanced  lessons,  you 
should  refer  frequently  to  these  pictures  and  try  to  sit  as 
this  pupil  sat  when  his  photographs  were  taken  for  the 
Palmer  Method.  When  writing,  he  always  sits  as  shown  in 
these  photographs,  and  he  knows  that  it  would  be  physically 
impossible  to  use  muscular  movement  writing  in  a  cramped, 
unhealthful  position. 

There  is  an  old  saying,  "Practice  makes  perfect."  That 
is  only  partly  true  in  relation  to  writing.  Practice  of  the 
right  kind  leads  toward  perfection,  but  the  wrong  kind  of 
practice  leads  just  as  surely  in  the  opposite  direction.  It  is 
not  so  much  the  exercise  that  is  practiced  as  the  manner  in 
which  it  is  practiced.  Millions  of  pupils  have  wasted  the 
time  given  to  movement  exercises  because  they  thought  it 
was  the  exercise  that  counted  and  not  the  manner  in  which 
it  was  made. 

There  is  no  value  in  any  penmanship  drill  ever  invented 
unless  it  is  practiced  with  correct  positions  of  body,  arms, 


fingers,  penholders,  paper,  and  with  exactly  the  right  move- 
ment, and  at  exactly  the  right  rate  of  speed. 

If  you  study  the  instructions  in  the  Palmer  Method,  and 
follow  them  absolutely  in  daily  practice,  you  will  make  steady 
progress  and,  within  a  short  time,  become  a  splendid  pen- 
man. But,  even  should  you  spend  a  great  deal  of  time  prac- 
ticing the  drills  in  a  poor  position  with  cramped  muscles  and 
with  the  wrong  movement,  you  not  only  will  make  no  progress 
toward  good  writing,  but  will  contract  bad  habits,  or  firmly 
fix  those  already  established,  and,  under  such  conditions,  the 
possibility  of  learning  to  write  well  will  constantly  become 
more  and  more  remote. 

It  is  a  fact,  that  among  the  thousands  of  men  and  women 
employed  in  business  offices  who  do  longhand  writing  con- 
stantly, rapidly,  and  well,  none  can  be  found  who  do  not  use 
muscular  movement,  because  it  is  the  only  movement  through 
which  penmanship  embracing  in  the  highest  degree  legibility, 
rapidity,  ease,  and  endurance  can  be  developed. 

It  is  now  generally  conceded  that  systems  of  copy-books 
have  inevitably  resulted  in  a  poor  finished  product  of  pen- 
manship. Public  school  officials  and  teachers  were  satisfied 
with  copy-books  so  long  as  they  did  not  consider  good  posture, 
muscular  relaxation,  easy,  tireless  movement  and  reasonable 
speed,  as  important  factors.  Then  the  discovery  was  made 
that  pupils  were  able  to  draw  the  letters  slowly  and  very 
accurately  in  close  imitation  of  mechanically  engraved  copies, 
but  that  when  rapid,  continuous  writing  was  required  in  the 


penmanship  employed  in  written  spelling,  compositions, 
examinations,  etc.,  the  letter  forms  became  dissipated  in 
appearance  and  soon  approached  the  stage  of  scribbling. 

It  must  be  conceded  by  everyone  that  any  system  of 
writing  which  does  not  lead  to  an  automatic  style  embodying 
legibility,  rapidity,  ease,  and  endurance  is  a  failure. 

The  term  "Copy-book"  has  been  applied  for  many  years 
to  sheets  of  paper  bound  together  with  a  cover,  containing  at 
the  top  of  each  page,  a  line  of  writing  or  an  exercise  to  be 
imitated  by  the  pupils  on  the  lines  below.  Sometimes  the 
headlines  are  made  from  carefully  penciled  copies,  mechanically 
perfected  through  a  system  of  hand  engraving. 

There  are  also  bound  books,  with  copies  at  the  top  of  the 
pages  that  were  really  written  with  some  show  of  muscular 
movement  and  afterward  photo-engraved,  but  the  copy-book 
principles  are  involved  in  the  publication  of  such  books — 
principles  which  preclude  the  teaching  of  good  writing  through 
their  use.  The  mental  attitude  of  pupils  who  see  before 
them  the  immaculate  page  upon  which  they  must  make 
reproductions,  as  nearly  facsimile  as  possible  of  the  copies  at 
the  top,  is  wholly  unfavorable  to  the  process. 

Another  recent  copy-book  system  is  the  pad  with  the  copy 
at  the  top,  and  sometimes  at  the  top  and  center  of  each  page, 
there  being  blank  lines  below  for  practice  purposes.  These 
modified  copy-books  are  probably  doing -just  as  much  harm  to 
the  cause  of  practical  writing  as  the  former  kind.  Unless  the 
mental  attitude  is  right,  physical  conditions  will  be  wrong. 

Sincerely, 


FIRST   SPECIMENS 


Beginning  pupils  should  write  three  sets  of  first  speci- 
mens on  paper  about  8x103^  inches.  One  set  should  be  kept 
by  the  teacher,  another  retained  by  the  pupil,  and  one  set 
sent  to  the  nearest  office  of  The  A.  N.  Palmer  Company. 

The  value  of  these  first  specimens  will  be  clearly  apparent 
as  the  work  of  muscular  movernent  development  and  applica- 
tion progresses  and  comparisons  are  made.  Those  sent  to 
the  publication  office  are  alphabetically  arranged  and  kept 
for  future  reference.  When  pupils  have  mastered  the  move- 
ment and  become  good  business  writers,  their  second  specimens 
should  be  sent  to  be  filed  with  the  first.  The  improvement  is 
often  so  great  that  the  first  and  second  specimens  may  be 


engraved  and  published  with  great  credit  to  the  schools,  the 
pupils,  and  the  Palmer  Method. 

In  these  specimens  the  following  form  should  be  followed: 
On  the  first  line  write  the  name,  the  age,  and  the  grade;  on 
the  second  line,  the  name  of  the  school,  city  or  town,  and  the 
date.  Skip  one  line  and  make  a  set  of  capitals;  skip  a  line 
and  make  two  lines  of  miscellaneous  figures;  skip  a  line  and 
write,  "A  specimen  of  mj'  best  writing  before  I  began  to 
practice  muscular  movement  writing  from  the  lessons  in  the 
Palmer    Method    of    Business    Writing."     The    above    was 

written  in minutes  and 

seconds. 


CLOTHING  FOR  THE  RIGHT  FOREARM 

As  the  muscles  of  the  right  forearm  play  an  important  part  writers  consider  this  of  such  importance  that  they  cut  off  the 
in  the  movement,  it  is  necessary  that  they  should  be  so  clothed  right  undersleeve  at  the  elbow.  To  the  Teacher:  See  that 
as  to  permit,  at  all  times,  unrestricted  action.     Many  good     pupils'  arms  are  free  of  heavy  clothing. 


WRITING    MATERIALS 


Not  much  progress  can  be  made  with  poor  paper,  poor 
pens,  or  poor  ink.  Good  materials  are  a  necessity.  Do  not 
use  a  penholder  covered  with  metal  where  the  fingers 
rest  if  another  can  be  procured.  Never  use  an  oblique 
penholder    in   business  writing.     It  is   out  of  place   and   of 


no  advantage  whatever.  Nothing  equals  an  oblique  holder 
for  ornamental  writing,  but  there  its  utility  ends.  Use 
paper  of  generous  size  for  your  practice,  a  medium  coarse 
pen,  and  ink  that  flows  well.  Blue-black  writing  fluid  is 
the  best. 


Study  the  instructions;    they  are  of  more  importance  than  the  copies. 


LESSON  1 
CORRECT  POSITIONS  FOR  CLASS  ROOM  WRITING 


IN  the  following  pages  are  reproduced  photographs  of  a  class  of  students 
who  are  experts  in  the  Palmer  Method  writing.  While  they  knew 
that  their  photographs  were  to  be  taken,  they  did  not  change  their 
every-day  penmanship  positions  in  the  least  particular.  It  was  not 
necessary,  because  they  had  all  acquired  the  habit  of  sitting  in  positions 
that  are  comfortable  and  which  at  the  same  time  permit  muscular  freedom 
and  control. 

In  elementary  schools  in  cities,  space  is  so  limited  that  the  use  of 
tables  or  desks  large  enough  to  permit  the  square  front  position  for 
writing  is  usually  impossible.  If  the  desks  are  too  small  for  the  square 
front  position  the  half-right  side  position  may  be  used. 

Study  these  pictures  closely;  it  will  pay. 

In  the  first  picture,  notice  that  the  right  elbow  rests  on  or  near  the 
lower  right  corner  of  the  desk.  This  position  may  be  occasionally  modified 
to  suit  the  needs  of  pupils.  As  an  example,  a  very  fat  boy  or  girl  may 
find  it  necessary  to  let  the  right  arm  rest  over  on  the  desk  a  little  farther. 

A  good  rule  to  follow  in  finding  the  correct  position  of  the  right  arm 
on  the  desk  for  writing  is  as  follows:  Place  the  body  at  the  desk  in  the 
correct  square  front  position,  raise  the  entire  right  arm  a  few  inches, 
and  withdrawing  control,  let  it  drop.  Wherever  it  strikes  the  desk  it 
should  remain.  To  draw  the  arm  toward  the  side  would  force  the  right 
shoulder  upward  into  an  uncomfortable,  unhealthful  position,  or  would 
force  the  pupil  to  lean  backward.  On  the  other  hand,  to  place  the 
right  arm  farther  over  on  the  desk  would  force  the  body  too  far  forward. 


These  photographs  show  that  the  pupils  sit  comfortably  in  the 
seats;  that  the  upper  ends  of  their  penholders  point  a  little  to  the  right 
of  their  right  shoulders — usually  half  way  between  the  elbow  and  the 
shoulder;  that  the  Palmer  Method  is  placed  at  the  upper  left  corner  of 
the  desk — being  held  open  at  the  required  drill  v/ith  a  rubber  band;  that 
the  left  forearm  is  on  the  desk  in  such  a  position  as  will  keep  the  body 
upright,  the  left  shoulder  from  drooping,  reserving  the  free  use  of  the  left 
hand  for  changing  the  positions  of  the  Manual  and  the  paper  as  required. 

I  n  this  position  it  is  easy  to  push  the  sheet  of  paper  forward  as  progress 
is  made  toward  the  bottom  of  the  page;  also  to  move  the  paper  to  the 
left  when  the  writing  has  reached  a  third  or  half  the  distance  across  a 
line,  and  back  into  the  first  position  for  a  new  line. 

The  exact  position  of  the  body  at  the  desk  and  the  relative  positions 
of  the  left  and  right  arms  in  writing  are  very  clearly  shown  in  illustration 
two,  while  the  position  of  the  left  arm  in  its  relation  to  desk,  Manual, 
and  paper,  is  best  shown  in  illustration  three. 

No  student  who  fails  in  the  matter  of  position  will  master  muscular 
movement  writing.  Correct  position  is  of  the  greatest  importance,  and 
it  should  be  studied  and  thoroughly  mastered  before  the  writing  itself  is 
considered. 

To  the  Teacher :  At  this  point,  pupils  should  be  required  to  close 
their  Methods  and  show  their  familiarity  with  the  preceding  discussion 
of  position  by  answering  questions  relating  to  it,  and  also  to  assume  the 
position  described  several  times,  to  prove  their  working  knowledge  of  it. 


Position  illustration  number  1.     Read  page  7  for  instructions. 


Position  illuetration  number  2.     Read  page  7  for  instructions. 


10 


Position  illustration  number  3.     Read  page  7  for  instructions. 


11 


LESSON    2 
PHYSICAL   TRAINING    IN    PENMANSHIP   PRACTICE 

Correct  Posture,  Relaxing  Exercises,  Movement  Practice,  and  Penholding,  Taught  in  Pictures 


NO  progress  can  be  made  in  mastering  good  muscular  movement  writing 
until  there  is  a  correct  understanding  of  the  important  steps  and 
the  order  in  which  they  must  be  taken. 

No  written  or  spoken  words  can  explain  these  more  fully  and  plainly 
than  the  fifteen  accompanying  pictures  given  as  models.  They  tell  all 
that  could  be  told  about  the  important  beginning  steps,  and  they  should 
be  studied  with  thoroughness  now,  and  often  during  future  practice  periods. 

Step  one,  illustration  four:  Position  in  seat  with  arms  hanging  limply 
at  the  sides.  Step  two,  number  five:  Body  turned  a  little  to  the  left 
and  arms  extended  above  the  desk,  wrists  and  fingers  limp.  Step  three, 
number  six:  After  permitting  both  arms  to  drop  to  the  desk,  raise  right 
arm  as  shown  in  the  picture,  withdraw  control  and  let  it  drop,  repeating 
the  operation  until  the  arm  drops  comfortably  into  the  writing  position, 
with  a  square  turn  at  the  elbow  and  fingers  bent  naturally.  Step  four, 
number  seven:   Learn  to  run  the  writing  machine. 

Notice  the  closed  fingers  making  a  fist,  and  the  absorbed  interest  with 
which  this  boy  studies  his  arm  near  the  elbow.  The  arm  is  the  machine, 
and  the  engine  that  moves  it  is  above  the  elbow.  With  the  arm  lying  on 
the  desk  in  that  position,  it  requires  but  little  eflfort  to  drive  the  wrist 
forward  out  of,  and  to  pull  it  backward  into,  the  sleeve;  this  is  "muscular 
movement."  Fix  in  your  mind  the  following  facts:  In  muscular  movement 
writing  the  arm  is  never  raised  above,  but  lies  on  the  desk  all  the  time  in 
a  perfectly  natural,  comfortable  position;  the  sleeve  remains  in  one  place 
on  the  desk  at  all  times,  and  the  flesh  on  the  arm  moves,  the  action  being 
inside  the  sleeve. 


Careful  study  of  illustrations  nine  and  ten  at  this  point  will  be  helpful. 
The  arrow  points  to  the  main  rest,  which  should  always  be  the  larger  part 
of  the  forearm  near  the  elbow.  In  writing,  the  wrist  and  side  of  the  hand 
should  never  touch  the  paper.  There  are  only  two  rests,  the  muscle  near 
the  elbow,  as  explained,  and  the  third  and  fourth  fingers,  those  fingers  sup- 
plying a  movable  rest,  and  gliding  over  the  paper  in  the  various  directions 
in  which  the  pen  moves. 

Do  not  think  of  writing  or  penholding  at  this  point,  but  give  all  your 
attention  to  position,  muscular  relaxation,  and  the  running  of  the  writing 
machine,  until  good  position  and  easy  movement  have  become  natural. 
It  often  pays  primary  grade  pupils  to  practice  on  position,  relaxing  exercises, 
and  movement,  from  three  to  six  weeks  before  taking  writing  instruments. 
It  is  best  that  all  beginners  on  muscular  movement  practice  should 
devote  several  periods  to  these  things  before  thinking  of  penholding  or 
writing. 

Future  progress  depends  upon  present  understanding  of  these  first 
important  steps.  Even  after  beginning  the  movement  drills,  and  when 
muscular  movement  is  used  in  all  writing,  parts  of  practice  periods  should 
be  devoted  to  the  study  of  the  writing  machine,  and  to  the  calisthenic 
exercises  suggested. 

Illustration  number  eight  is  worthy  of  close  study  and  imitation.  This 
boy  was  looking  at  some  object  at  a  distance.  In  this  position  you  should 
practice  the  movement.  Test  the  movement  here,  and  see  if  you  can  feel 
the  action  of  the  muscle  of  the  forearm  as  it  rests  on  the  desk. 


12 


.No.  4 


No.  5  No.  6 

DEFINITION  OF  MOVEMENT 


No.  7 


No.  S 


Muscular  movement  as  applied  to  writing,  is  the  movement  of  the 
muscles  of  the  arm  from  the  shoulder  to  the  wrist,  witK  the  larger  part 
of  the  arm  below  the  elbow  on  the  desk,  the  fingers  not  being  held  rigid, 
but  remaining  oassive,  and  neither  extended  nor  contracted  in  the  formation 
of  letters.  In  this  movement  the  driving  power  is  located  above  the  elbow 
in  the  upper  muscles  of  the  arm. 


Examine  your  right  arm.  Notice  the  increasing  size  from  the  wrist 
to  the  elbow.  Note  particularly  the  elasticity  of  the  muscles.  On  the 
elasticity  and  development  of  those  muscles  depends  your  success  in  learn- 
ing a  good  style  of  writing.  (Reread  this  and  make  sure  that  you  thor- 
oughly understand  what  muscular  movement  means  before  going  ahead, 
because  your  success  depends  upon  it.) 


HOW    TO    DEVELOP    MUSCULAR    ACTION 


Place  your  arm  on  the  desk  and  close  the  fingers  of  the  right  hand 
tightly.  (Number  nine.)  See  how  far  you  can  move  the  hand  forward 
and  backward  without  slipping  the  sleeve  or  without  any  motion  of  the 
wrist  or  fingers. 

Can  you  move  that  hand  through  space  a  sufficient  distance  to  make 


any  capital?  Could  you  make  a  capital  through  two  or  three  lines  of  the 
paper,  two  or  three  times  larger  than  necessary,  without  any  action  of  the 
fingers? 

To  the  Teacher:  You  should  again  examine  your  students  on  lesson 
one  and  also  on  this  lesson. 


13 


No.  9 


.\>..  10 


ON  page  fourteen  are  five  pictures  of  a  boy  who  sits  in  a  splendid 
position  for  writing.  He  is  never  found  in  a  cramped  or  poor  posi- 
tion. In  number  eleven,  the  right  elbow  is  placed  on  the  lower 
right  corner,  the  hand  pointed  toward  the  upper  left  corner,  of  the  desk. 
The  arm  may  then  be  lowered  until  it  rests  in  a  writing  position.  In 
number  twelve,  the  left  arm  is  placed  on  the  desk  as  shown  in  pictures 
one,  two,  and  three,  and  then  the  exercise  of  the  muscles  be~ins.  The 
entire  right  arm  is  on  the  desk,  and  this  is  the  best  position,  except  when 
the  arm  is  so  thin  that  the  bone  of  the  elbow  grates  on  the  desk.  Then 
the  elbow  may  be  extended  off  the  desk  enough  to  relieve  the  discomfort. 

In  no  case  will  it  be  necessary  to  extend  the  elbow  more  than  an  inch; 
and  not  one  pupil  in  a  hundred  will  need  to  take  advantage  of  this  exception 
to  the  rule,  that  the  entire  right  arm  should  be  on  the  desk. 

In  number  thirteen,  make  a  special  study  of  the  upper  part  of  the  pen- 
holder. It  does  not  point  toward  the  right  shoulder,  and  never  will,  if 
the  arm,  wrist,  and  hand  are  allowed  to  retain  natural  positions,  providing 
pupil  and  desk  are  fitted  to  each  other.     In  number  fourteen,  again  study 


the  right  arm,  and,  in  particular,  notice  its  distance  from  the  right  side, 
also  look  at  the  portion  of  the  penholder  in  sight. 

In  number  fifteen,  notice  carefully  the  distance  between  the  boy  and 
the  desk.  You  should  always  sit  well  back  in  your  seat,  so  far  back  that 
the  body  will  not  touch  the  desk.  This  boy  is  none  too  far  back;  his 
writing  is  well  in  front  of  the  eyes,  and  it  is  easy  for  him  to  retain  the 
very  important  square  turn  at  the  right  elbow.  You  should  follow  his  good 
example  in  the  matter  of  position,  and  if  you  practice  faithfully  you  can 
soon  become  an  expert  penman. 

Number  sixteen  shows  the  position  in  which  many  good  business  pen- 
men carry  the  penholder  when  writing.  Others  who  write  just  as  well 
let  the  holder  drop  below  the  knuckle  joint,  as  shown  in  illustrations 
twenty-four  and  twenty-five,  page  seventeen.  The  best  position  is 
determined  by  the  length  of  the  fingers  and  the  shape  of  the  hand.  It  is 
not  necessary  that  the  pupil  with  a  long,  slim  hand  and  long,  tapering 
fingers,  should  carry  his  penholder  in  exactly  the  same  position  as  the 
pupil  with  the  short,  thick  hand  and  short,  stubby  fingers. 


14 


No.  11 


No.  12 


No.  13 


No.  14 


No.  15 


No.  16 


15 


No,  18 


No.  19 


No.  20 


No.  21 


LESSON  3 


Here  are  additional  pictures  from  which  you  are  expected  to  learn 
more  about  the  best  position  for  muscular  movement  writing.  See  the 
right  (square)  turn  of  his  right  arm  at  the  elbow;  the  position  in  the  seat; 
the  position  of  the  back;  the  distance  between  the  boy  and  the  desk; 
the  positions  of  the  left  arm  and  the  left  hand;  and  the  distance  between 
the  eyes  and  the  paper. 

In  this  lesson  you  should  review  all  that  was  said  in  lessons  one  and 
two  about  important  beginning  steps,  position,  muscular  relaxation,  and 
penholding.     Practice   movement    (running   the   writing   machine)   a   few 


minutes  without  the  penholder,  then  slip  the  penholder  into  the  right 
hand  from  the  left,  and  practice  the  movement  without  touching  the  pen 
to  the  paper,  still  watching  the  arm  closely,  and  giving  more  attention  to 
correct  position  and  movement  than  to  anything  else. 

Are  you  comfortable  in  your  seat;  do  your  arms  feel  comfortable; 
and  are  you  holding  the  penholder  lightly  in  the  hand  without  pinching 
it?     Give  close  attention  to  these  things. 

In  the  next  lesson  more  particular  attention  will  be  given  to  pen- 
holding. 


16 


TIME   REQUIRED  TO   LEARN 


The  process  of  learning  a  good  style  of  muscular  movement 
-writing  may  be  made  easy  or  difficult,  short  or  long,  possible 
or  impossible,  according  to  the  mental  attitudes  of  teacher 
and  pupil,  and  the  exactness  with  which  directions  in  this 
Manual  are  followed. 

Pupils  who  constantly  practice  the  movement  drills  in 
poor  positions  with  incorrect  movement  never  even  get 
started,  and  pupils  who  practice  from  fifteen  to  thirty 
minutes  a  day  in  good  positions  with  correct  movement,  but 
who  fall  back  into  the  old  bad  cramped  positions  and  finger 
movement  habits  in  all  other  writing,  do  not  get  beyond  the 
beginning  stages,  no  matter  how  many  years  they  may  practice. 

The  pupil  who  becomes  the  absolute  master  of  a  finished 
style  of  muscular  movement  writing  within  the  limits  of  six 
months  or  one  school  year  is  he  who  gives  the  closest  attention 
to  every  detail  relating  to  the  beginning  steps,  who  follows 
the  printed  instructions  closely,  who  sits  in  correct  position 
at  all  times,  and  uses  muscular  movement  throughout  the 
writing  lessons,  and  in  all  his  written  work  within  a  month 
from  the  time  he  begins  to  study  the  Palmer  Method. 

Without  conflicting  with  other  subjects  it  is  possible  to  lay 
the  foundation  for  an  excellent  handwriting  in  one  school  year, 
with  but  fifteen  to  thirty  minutes  daily  study  and  practice, 
and  the  employment  of  muscular  movement  in  all  written 


work  j  ust  as  soon  as  possible.  As  progress  is  made  in  the  grades 
the  use  of  muscular  movement  can  be  permanently  established. 
The  boy  becomes  an  expert  ball-player  by  playing  ball. 
At  first  he  is  awkward  and  uncertain,  but,  as  he  studies  the 
methods  of  those  who  have  become  experts,  and  continues  to 
practice,  he  takes  on  self-confidence,  and  finally  develops  into 
an  expert,  even  though  he  could  not  hit  a  single  ball  during 
his  first  few  games.  Boys  and  girls  who  learn  to  skate  with 
almost  consummate  grace  must  pass  through  the  awkward 
stages,  when  they  sit  down  instead  of  standing  up  as  they 
had  planned,  and  when  their  feet  take  possession  and  run 
away  with  them.  In  instrumental  music  of  any  kind  one 
does  not  become  an  expert  without  first  learning  how  to 
practice  and  then  practicing  in  exactly  the  right  way  according 
to  methods  prescribed  by  master  teachers.  It  is  the  same  in 
penmanship:  first,  learn  how  to  practice  and  then  practice 
faithfully.  Acquire  elasticity,  lightness,  and  freedom,  and 
do  not  mind  if  the  pen  runs  away  at  first  and  makes  some 
awkward  letters.  This  is  to  be  expected.  But  stick  to  the 
right  plan,  and  gradually  you  will  gain  control  of  the  writing 
muscles  of  the  arm,  and  with  close  attention  to  general  form, 
size,  slant,  spacing,  and  correct  movement  application,  you 
will  become  a  splendid  muscular  movement  penman  in  a  few 
short  months. 


17 


HAND,    FINGER,    AND    PENHOLDER 
STUDIES 

STUDY  closely  the  illustrations  on  this 
page.      In   number   22,  the    fingers 
bend    naturally    as   in   repose,    and 
their   positions   should   remain   the   same 
when  the  penholder  is  in  the  hand. 

In  numbers  twenty-four  and  twenty- 
five,  you  should  study  the  relation  of  the 
penholder  to  the  hand.  As  you  see,  it  is  a 
little  below  the  knuckle  joint.  The  first 
finger  bends  naturally,  and  rests  on  top 
of  the  holder  about  one  inch  from  the 
point  of  the    pen;    the  thumb  rests 

the  holder  nearly  opposite  the 

first  joint  of  the  first   finger, 

and    the    third    and    fourth 

fingers  are  bent,  touching  the 

paper  and  forming  a  movable 

rest.     Whether  these  fingers 

bend  exactly  as  the  illustra- 
tions show  will  depend  upon 

their   shape   and  length.     It 

does  not  matter  whether  they 

rest  on  the  nails  or  sides,  if 

they  are  comfortable  and  can 

be  used  easily  as  the  movable 

rest. 


18 


No.  26 

THESE  diagrams  are  intended  to  show  clearly  the  position  of  the 
writing  paper  on  the  desk,  the  relative  positions  of  arms,  paper  and 
desk,  and  the  direction  in  which  the  pen  moves  to  secure  uniform 
slant.     Number  twenty-six  is  the  half-side  position  mostly  used  in  public 
schools  and  best  adapted  to  them,  because  of  the  character  of  the  desks. 
Number  twenty-seven  is  the  square  front  position. 

In  both  diagrams,  A  represents  the  square  turn  at  the  right  elbow 
and  its  position  on  the  desk,  B  is  the  muscular  rest  of  the  forearm,  C 
the  position  of  the  left  hand  in  its  relation  to  the  paper  and  the  right 
hand,  D  the  penholder,  and  E    E  the  imaginary  line  between  the  eyes 


No.  27 

along  which  the  pen  should  travel  in  upward  and  downward  strokes. 
With  the  right  forearm  crossing  the  lower  edge  of  the  paper  a  little 
to  the  right  of  the  center,  the  pen  should  progress  one-fourth  or  one- 
third  of  the  distance  across  a  sheet  of  paper  eight  inches  wide,  before  the 
position  of  the  paper  is  changed.  Always  use  the  left  hand  to  move  the 
paper.  Paper  8xl03i  inches  in  width  should  be  moved  three  or  four  times 
in  the  progress  of  the  pen  across  it.  When  the  end  of  the  line  has  been 
reached,  the  paper  should  be  returned  to  its  original  position,  and  should 
be  moved  up  on  the  desk  the  width  of  one  line.  Lift  the  pen  before 
moving  the  paper. 


19 


It  is  not  Palmer  Method  if  the  lines  are  tremulous.     Study  instructions  for  speed  requirements 

LESSON  4 


Now  the  serious  work  of  using  and  applying  the  correct  movement 
begins.  Before  attempting  to  make  any  part  of  drill  one,  review  lessons 
one,  two,  and  three,  and  give  the  closest  possible  attention  to  position, 


muscular  relaxation,  and  penholding.  Don't  practice  before  you  know 
how.  With  the  left  hand,  move  the  paper  to  the  left  three  times  at  equal 
intervals,  in  the  progress  of  the  pen  across  it. 


Drill  1 


Letting  the  distance  between  the  two  ruledlines,  three-eighths  of  an  inch 
apart,  represent  one  space  in  height,  any  part  of  this  drill  should  be  two 
spaces  high.  Look  at  these  drills  until  you  have  a  good  mental  picture 
of  the  height,  proportions,  and  general  appearance. 

In  connection  with  the  straight  line  part  of  the  drill,  study  closely 
diagrams  twenty-six  and  twenty-seven  on  page  eighteen.  There  is  no 
value  in  this  straight  line  exercise  unless  practiced  with  a  forward  and 
backward  motion,  from  and  toward  the  center  of  the  body,  with  the  paper 
held  in  the  correct  position. 

If  you  cannot  make  the  several  parts  of  drill  one  high  enough  at  first 
with  pure  muscular  movement,  practice  without  touching  the  pen  to  the 
paper  until  you  have  developed  more  muscular  freedom. 

In  the  second  line  of  drill  one,  the  traced  oval  should  first  contain  six, 


and  later,  as  a  lighter  movement  is  developed,  ten  revolutions.  In  this  drill 
it  will  be  well  to  make  first  the  straight  line  on  the  correct  slant,  and  then  the 
oval  enclosing  it.  This  order  may  be  changed  frequently  and  the  ovals  made 
first.  This  is  an  important  drill  as  it  has  a  very  specific  bearing  upon  slant. 
To  the  Teacher:  It  may  be  profitable  for  third,  fourth,  and  fifth  year 
pupils  to  spend  the  practice  periocls  of  one  week  in  studying  and  practicing 
the  two  movement  drills  given  in  this  lesson,  reviewing  each  day  every- 
thing that  has  gone  before.  Pupils  in  the  sixth,  seventh,  and  eighth 
years,  and  in  high  schools  classes  should  be  able  to  progress  more  rapidly. 
It  is  not  safe  to  say  how  rapidly,  as  that  depends  upon  the  knowledge  of 
the  teacher,  the  mental  caliber  of  the  pupils,  their  interest  in  the  work, 
the  length  of  the  daily  lessons,  and  the  amount  of  the  right  kind  of  outside 
practicing  that  pupils  do. 


20 

Study  the  accom- 
panying illustration, 
number  twenty-eight. 
Notice  the  direction  in 
which  the  upper  part 
of  the  penholder  points, 
the  distance  between 
the  elbow  and  the  side, 
the  self-supporting 
position  of  the  body  in 
the  chair,  and  the  dis- 
tance of  the  eyes  from 
the  paper.  Do  not 
foi^et  that  the  force 
that  moves  the  hand 
and  carries  the  pen 
along  without  bending 
the  fingers  is  above  the 
elbow.  It  is  not  lo- 
cated in  the  fingers, 
hand,  wrist,  or  fore- 
arm. 

The  fingers  hold 
the  pen  easily  and 
firmly  without  pinch- 
ing; the  third  and 
fourth  fingers  are  bent 
backward  and  form 
^o.  -8  the  movable  rest  under 

the  hand;  neither  the  wrist  nor  side  of  the  hand  touches  the  paper  and 
the  arm  should  rest  all  the  time  on  the  largest  portion  m  front  of  and 
near  the  elbow.  ..   •.     . 

If  the  paper  you  are  using  has  lines  eight  inches  long,  divide  the  page  in 
the  center  from  left  to  right  with  a  dot;  then  divide  the  halves  in  the  center 
with  other  dots.  Beginning  at  the  left  for  the  straight  line  drill,  make 
one  hundred  downward  strokes  to  the  first  quarter  mark,  and  continue  in 
the  same  manner  for  each  quarter.  Thus,  four  hundred  downward  strokes 
and,  of  course,  an  equal  number  of  upward  strokes  should  be  made  in 
the  four  sections  extending  across  a  line.    See  drill  one;  page  nineteen. 


COUNTING  TO  REGULATE  MOTION 

In  developing  light,  uniform  motion  in  class  penmanship  practice, 
counting  is  important.  It  makes  the  work  more  interesting,  tones  down 
the  movement  of  the  naturally  nervous  pupil,  acts  as  a  constant  spur  to  the 
habitually  slow  boy  or  girl,  and  keeps  the  indolent  student  busy.  In  the 
oblique  straight  line  and  the  oval  exercises  given  in  drill  one,  the  down- 
ward strokes  only  should  be  counted.  The  other  parts  of  the  drills,  being 
what  are  termed  connective  lines,  are  not  counted. 


ABOUT   SPEED 

Speed  is  so  important  in  the  development  of  good  writing  that  it  should 
receive  close  attention  in  all  practice  work  until  correct  speed  has  become 
a  habit.  Too  much  speed  is  just  as  bad  as  too  little.  Correct  speed  forces 
a  light,  firm  line;  too  little  speed  results  in  shaky  tremulous  lines;  while 
excessive  speed  means  irregular  letter  formation.  If  you  develop  a  light, 
firm,  elastic  motion,  and  the  proper  degree  of  speed  in  straight  line  and 
oval  making,  you  will  find  the  work  of  the  following  lessons  comparatively 
easy. 

The  straight  line  and  oval  exercises  in  drills  one,  two,  and  three 
should  be  made  at  a  speed  of  two  hundred  downward  strokes  to  a 
minute;  one  hundred  in  one-half  a  minute;  and  then  move  the 
paper. 

The  most  convenient  count  for  continuous  straight  line  or  oval 
exercises  as  given  in  drill  two  is  1,2,  3,  4,  5,  6,  7,  8,  9,  10 — 1,  2,  3,  4,  5,  6, 
7,  8,  9,  20—1,  2,  3,  4,  5,  6,  7,  8,  9,  30—1,  2,  3,  4,  5,  6,  7,  8,  9,  40—1,  2,  3, 
4,  5,  6,  7,  8,  9,  50,  continuing  until  two  hundred  has  been  reached.  Until 
correct  speed  habits  have  been  developed,  the  second  hand  of  a  watch 
should  be  used  as  a  guide. 

A  few  minutes  in  the  right  way  are  worth  more   than  hours  of 
practice  in  the  wrong  way. 


21 


LESSON  5 
Drill  2 


Begin  this  lesson  with  a  review  of  position  and  movement,  without 
the  penholder.  At  least  five  minutes  should  be  devoted  to  energetic 
practice  of  the  straight  line  and  oval  drills  in  this  way. 


Do  you  see  the  dotted  lines  at  the  left  in  drill  two?  They  are  to  show 
you  the  general  direction  in  which  the  pen  moves  in  making  the  downward 
strokes. 


ABOUT  SLANT 


Slant  needs  no  special  study,  but  will  take  care  of  itself  if  the  in- 
structions have  been  studied  and  heeded.  Especially  is  this  true  in 
relation  to  the  position  at  the  desk,  the  position  of  the  paper  and  arms 
on  the  desk,  the  relation  of  each  to  the  other,  and  the  changing  of  the 
paper  with  the  left  hand,  to  keep  it  in  the  right  position  in  regard  to  the 
desk,  body,  and  arms.     See  diagrams — page  eighteen. 

If  the  position  is  correct,  and  if  all  downward  strokes  are  made 


toward  the  center  of  the  body,  each  pupil  will  develop  uniform  slant, 
though  different  pupils  may  develop  individual  slants.  Following  the 
same  rules,  and  practicing  at  the  same  time  under  similar  conditions, 
different  slants  result,  because  of  the  variations  in  length  of  arms,  and 
other  physical  conditions.  The  degree  of  slant  is  not  a  matter  of  grave 
importance  SO  long  as  each  writer  develops  uniform  slant  in  his  own 
writing. 


22 

In  drill  two,  see  how  many  compact  ovals  you  can  make  with  one 
dip  of  ink,  and  try  to  develop  a  motion  so  light  and  elastic  that  you  will 
soon  be  able  to  make  from  five  hundred  to  a  thousand,  and  one  thousand 
or  more  on  a  line  eight  inches  long. 

Many  young  pupils  have  developed  such  control  of  muscular  move- 
ment that  they  have  made  more  than  two  thousand  ovals  with  one  dip 
of  ink,  in  a  space  not  more  than  eight  inches  long.     Indeed,  one  boy  of 


twelve  made  three  thousand  within  the  limits  of  a  page  eight  inches 
across,  maintaining  a  iKiiforra  speed  of  two  hundred  to  a  minute.  The 
pen  used  was  of  the  ordinary  large,  business  variety. 

Skill  in  oval  making  should  be  developed  gradually  from  day  to  day, 
as  two  or  three  minutes  at  the  beginning  of  each  practice  period  are 
devoted  to  ovals.  Never  make  ovals  on  the  "  back  slant."  Avoid  this  by 
pulling  the  strokes  toward  the  center  of  the  body. 


LESSON  6 


Each  practice  period  should  begin  with  a  review  of  position,  careful 
study  of  the  arm,  fingers,  and  penholding,  and  practice  of  the  preceding 
movements  without  touching  the  pen  to  the  paper.  While  going  through 
these  preliminary  drills,  the  eyes  should  travel  up  and  down  the  arm 


from  finger-tips  to  elbow,  and  the  pupils  should  be  sure  that  the  writing 
machine  has  been  carefully  adjusted,  and  is  in  perfect  working  order 
before  the  pen  touches  the  paper.  See  that  the  arm  is  perfectly  relaxed 
and  that  the  wrist  does  not  touch  the  desk. 


PREPARATORY  MOTION 


Read  the  following  carefully  until  thoroughly  understood.  It  is  of 
especial  value  to  beginners.  Before  making  the  oval  drill  or  attempting 
any  part  of  it,  move  the  pen  in  the  air  rapidly  over  the  path  of  the  first 
oval  several  times.     WTiile  doing  this,  watch  closely  the  movement  of  the 


muscles  of  the  arm.  While  the  pen  is  moving  rapidly,  and  without 
checking  its  motion,  let  it  strike  the  paper.  The  force  thus  gathered  will 
compel  light,  quick  action,  break  up  finger  motion,  give  smooth  lines, 
and  aid  form  building. 


FORM  BUIUDING 


The  compact  oval  is  the  repeated  form  of  a  large  capital  O.  Keep 
this  constantly  in  mind,  and  learn  at  once  to  criticise  it  with  special 
reference  to  the  slant,  width,  and  general  formation  of  a  capital  O  a  little 
more  than  tiyice  the  size  used  in  writing. 

Afkid  and  muscle  must  work  in  perfect  harmony  to  secure  the  best 
results. 

Before  beginning  the  practice  of  any  drill  or  letter,  study  its  form 
closely,  part  by  part,  and  as  a  complete  whole.  In  what  direction  does 
the  pen  move  to  make  the  first  line?  See  that  the  pen  moves  in  that 
direction  before  coming  in  contact  with  the  paper.  Be  sure  that  the  speed 
is  neither  too  fast  nor  too  slow,  but  such  as  will  make  two  hundred  complete 
ovals  to  a  minute.      Do  not  guess  about  the  speed,  but  use  a  watch. 

If  the  oval  is  too  wide,  it  is  because  of  too  nearly  circular  motion. 


and  you  should  use  more  of  the  forward  and  backward  motion  of  the 
straight  line  exercise.  If  too  narrow,  it  is  because  too  much  of  the  straight 
line  motion  was  used,  and  the  movement  should  be  more  nearly  circular. 
Remember  the  connection  between  mind,  muscle,  and  motion. 

When  the  oval  is  too  narrow,  repeat  to  yourself,  "  Wider,  wider, 
rounder,  rounder,  rounder,  rounder,"  until  it  is  wide  enough.  If  the 
oval  presents  a  back  slant  appearance  when  finished,  it  is  because  the 
downward  strokes  were  made  toward  the  right  elbow  instead  of  the  center 
of  the  body. 

On  the  other  hand,  if  the  oval  slants  too  much,  it  is  because  the 
downward  strokes  were  made  toward  the  left  shoulder  instead  of  the 
center  of  the  body — always  providing  that  instructions  relating  to  position 
have  been  strictly  followed. 


Drill  3 


23 


^^-^M.^.^M.-^-Ulc.^,Ul^^-^Jl-.^^^--^^ 


When  pupils  make  the  ovals  fairly  well,  they  are  ready  to  begin  to 
apply  muscular  movement  to  words  and  sentences.  The  ovals  given  above 
are  twelve-sixteenths  of  an  inch  high,  and  the  letters  in  the  word  "mine" 
(called  minimum  letters)  are  about  one-twelfth  as  high,  or  one-sixteenth 
of  an  inch.  Thus,  these  ovals  are  twelve  times  as  high  as  the  minimum 
letters;  therefore  little  force  is  required  to  make  a  minimum  letter,  com- 
pared with  the  muscular  effort  used  in  making  ovals.  To  make  the  m  and 
n  round  at  the  top,  the  over-motion  must  be  used,  while  to  make  the 
connective  lines  of  the  i  and  e  the  use  of  the  under-motion  is  necessary. 
In  the  words  "uses"  and  "sell"  the  under-motion  is  used  in  forming  the 
first  lines  in  all  letters  as  well  as  in  connective  lines.     The  speed  should 


be    such    as  will   permit   good   formation,   and   produce  sharp,  clear-cut 
lines.  _  ,.         „ 

Good  practice  speed  for  these  words  is  "mine,"  eighteen;  "uses, 
twenty:  and  "sell,"  twenty-two,  to  the  minute.  These  words  should  be 
practiced  now  until  they  can  be  written  well,  and  should  be  reviewed 
frequently.  Practicing  them  at  this  stage  with  muscular  movement  will 
give  students  confidence  and  should  encourage  them  to  use,  constantly, 
muscular  movement  in  all  written  work.  Other  easy  words  may  be 
selected  from  the  Manual  and  practiced  occasionally.  It  is  a  distinct 
advantage  to  studv  frequently  at  this  stage  lessons  15,  16,  17,  19,  20,  and 
32,  and  to  practice  drills  13,  14,  15,  17,  18,  and  33. 


24 


LESSON  7 
Drill  4 


Begin,  as  usual,  with  careful  study  of  the  writing  machine,  adjust 
it  carefully  and  test  the  movement.  Then  practice  the  two-space  com- 
pact oval  in  drill  three. 

In  drill  four  the  special  object  is  to  develop  a  uniform,  continuous 
motion.  Preparatory  to  the  first  oval,  the  movement  should  be  tested 
by  carrying  the  pen  rapidly  in  the  air,  the  arm  resting,  and  the  hand  in 
a  good  writing  position.  Without  checking  the  motion,  the  pen  should 
be  brought  to  the  paper,  thus  forcing  it  to  make  sharp,  clean-cut  lines. 
In  passing  from  one  oval  to  another,  the  pen  should  be  lifted  from  the 


paper  at  the  base  line  without  checking  the  motion,  should  swing  below 
the  base  line  to  the  right  and  to  the  beginning  of  the  next  oval,  a  uniform 
speed  being  maintained  throughout.  Thus,  the  motion  is  continuous 
and  no  shaky  lines  are  possible.  Finish  the  final  oval  in  each  group  with 
an  upward  right  curve  as  shown  in  the  drill.  Move  the  paper  with  the 
left  hand  after  each  group  of  six. 

Pupils  should  study  the  above  instructions  in  connection  with  the 
oval  practice  until  fully  understood.  These  instructions  are  important, 
having  a  direct  bearing  upon  the  practice  of  capital  letters. 


Drill  5 


Drill  five  is  what  we  term  a  forcing  movement  drill,  and  is  one  of 
the  best  for  the  beginner  to  practice. 

In  the  direct  traced  oval  make  six  revolutions  to  a  count  of  "1,  2, 
3,  4,  5,  6,"  lifting  the  pen  at  the  base  line  on  the  sixth  count  without 
checking  the  motion  and  swinging  it  in  the  air  to  the  beginning  stroke 
of  the  capital  A.  Thus  the  pupil  will  be  impelled  from  a  slow,  lagging 
movement  to  one  that  is  elastic  and  rapid.     The  form  may  not  be  entirely 


satisfactory  at  first,  but  it  will  improve  rapidly  if  this  process  is  continued 
long  enough  and  frequently  repeated. 

The  rate  of  speed  should  be  about  twenty  complete  traced  ovals, 
and  as  many  capitals  to  the  minute. 

Before  beginning  to  practice,  count  the  ovals  and  letters.  There 
are  seven  of  each.  You  are  expected  to  make  the  same  number  on  a 
line  of  equal  length. 


25 


LESSON  8— Drill  6 


Assume  correct  position;  practice  the  movement  without,  and  then  with,  the  penholder.     Be  sure  that  you  are  using  exactly  the  right  move- 
ment, and  practice  the  two-space  compact  ovals  two  or  three  minutes  at  the  rate  of  two  hundred  to  a  minute.     (Drill  three.) 


'^^a 


When  two  lines  are  connected  in  an  angle,  a  positive  stop  at  the 
point  of  connection  is  necessary.  This  principle  applies  to  the  top  of 
capital  A  where  the  upward  and  the  last  downward  strokes  are  joined. 
This  stop  is  such  a  small  fraction  of  a  second  in  duration  that  it  can 
hardly  be  detected.  Without  the  stop  at  the  tpp  of  capital  A,  a  loop  will 
be  made.  To  emphasize  this  stop  in  connection  with  capital  A,  the  fol- 
lowing conversational  count  has  been  developed.  "  You  stop,  you  stop, 
at  the  top,  you  stop,  every  time,  at  the  top.  How  long  do  you  stop  at 
the  top?  Not  lone;,  but  you  stop,  every  time,  at  the  top.  What  for,  what 
for,  what  for?  Oh!  To  close  tnem  up,  to  close  them  up,  to  close  them 
up."  and  repeat.  Other  conversational  counts  that  may  be  used  with 
capital  A  arc,  "  Roll  the  arm,  on  the  muscle;  see  it  roll,  on  the  muscle; 
slide  the  hand,  on  the  fingers,  see  them  slide,  over  the  paper,  make  them 
glide."  Make  your  letters  the  same  size  as  in  the  drill,  and  begin  each 
letter  as  the  pen  moves  downward.  Make  capital  A  in  groups  of  five, 
and  move  the  paper  a  little  to  the  left  after  each  of  the  first  two  groups 
as  indicated  by  the  check  mark.     When  the  third  group  of  five  has  been 


finished,  move  the  paper  to  the  right  to  its  correct  position  for  beginning 
a  line.  Learning  to  move  the  paper  in  this  and  in  other  drills  is  very  im- 
portant. There  are  three  groups  of  five,  making  fifteen  letters  to  a  line  in 
drill  six,  and  five  lines,  seventy-five  letters,  should  be  made  in  a  minute. 
The  dotted  line  between  the  first  and  second  letters  shows  the  path 
over  which  the  pen  should  move  without  touchin<;  the  paper,  in  passing 
from  one  letter  to  the  next.  A  count  of  ten  should  be  used  in  each  group 
of  five,  and  the  count  for  each  line  should  be  1-2,  3-4,  5-6,  7-8,  9-10,  move 
the  paper,  1-2,  3-4,  5-6,  7-8,  9-10,  move  the_paper,_l-2,  3-4,  5-6,  7-8,  9-10, 
move  the  paper.  In  beginning  every  practice  period  hereafter,  your  pro- 
gram should  be  the  two-space  compact  oval,  one  mmute — two  hundred 
ovals,  and  capital  A,  at  a  speed  that  will  produce  at  least  sixty-five  and 
very  soon  seventy-five  in  a  minute.  For  the  present,  three  minutes  could 
very  profitablv  be  spent  in  repeating  the  capital  A  with  an  easy,  swinging, 
rhythmic  motion.  Select  your  best  capital  and  compare  it  with  the  models 
giving  close  attention  to  size,  slant,  width,  distance  between  letters,  and 
the  beginning  and  finishing  lines. 


26 

If  muscular  movement  is  taught  to  pupils  of  the  first  and  second  year  copies  of  this  Manual,  study  it  closely,  and  follow  it  absolutely  in  daily 

primary  classes  according  to  the  Palmer  Method  plan,  they  will  enter  the  practice  under  teachers  who  have  mastered  the  lessons  before  attempting 

third  year  of  their  school  life  well  prepared  to  use  the  movement  in  all  their  to  teach  them,  rapid  improvement  will  be  evident  from  week  to  week,  and 

writing.    If  pupils  in  classes  from  the  third  to  the  eighth  year  inclusive  have  the  ideal  in  rapid,  easy,  legible  writing  will  soon  be  attained. 

LESSON  9— Drill  7 

unnirocrocyoaoaocyo , 

Do  not  neglect  the  compact  oval  practice;  one  line  across  the  paper  below  the  base  line  and  around  to  the  beginning  point  of  capital  O  without 

will  no  doubt  be  enough  if  very  compact.  checking  it.     Drive  the  pen  rapidly  and  bring  the  muscles  of  the  arm  into 

The  method  of  practice  in  drill  seven  should  be  the  same  as  in  capital  A,  active  play.  First  make  ten  revolutions  for  the  traced  oval,  gradually  de- 
drill  five.     After  each  traced  oval,  lift  the  pen  while  in  motion,  swinging  it  creasing  the  number  to  six ;  count  six  for  the  ovals  and  two  for  each  capital  O. 

Drill  8 


rrcrcrrrcy'  (yaaacr  acro^ao- 

This  capital  O  is  very  popular  with  many  excellent  business  penmen  In  finishing  O  the  final  stroke  should  be  pushed  upward.     If  it  is 

and  teachers  of  modern  writing.     Study  the  letter  and  make  a  mental  pulled  downward  it  will  too  nearly  resemble  A. 

photograph  of  it.     Note  particularly  the  curves  of  the  left  and  the  right  Capital  O  should  be  made  at  the  rate  of  seventy  or  more  to  a  mmute. 

sides;  also  the  loop  at  the  top,  its  general  direction  and  size.  Count  1-2  for  each  O. 

LESSON   10 

Devote  the  time  of  this  lesson  to  a  general  review  of  the  preceding  lessons. 

LESSON  11— Drill  9 


c)  ('.  ()  re  o 

oe^oeod 


27 

The  plan  of  practice  for  drill  nine  should  be  the  same  asfor  drills  five  and  seven.  The  count  should  be  1,  2,  3,  4,  5,  6, — 1,  2,  and  repeat.  No  matter 
what  may  precede  capital  C,  when  the  pen  comes  in  contact  with  the  paper  in  the  beginning  line  it  must  move  downward  in  the  direction  of  a  left  curve. 

Drill  10 

^^^^^(3   (^(^(^(^(^  (3(^^(^(3 

e.(^(^e^e.  (^(3(3c^(3  c^c^dyc^e. 

How  many  are  there  on  a  line?  Count  them.  Swing  the  pen  in  the  path  of  a  C  several  times  before  making  the  first  letter;  in  fact,  aim  before  you 
shoot.  Lift  the  pen  from  the  paper  while  in  motion  in  finishing  a  capital;  continue  the  motion  with  the  pen  in  the  air  and  bring  it  to  the  paper 
to  begin  the  next  capital — all  without  checking  the  motion.     Make  about  seventy  letters  to  the  minute.     Count  1-2  for  each  C. 

LESSON   12 
Drill  11 

<r V 27 r? -a c; 5» s? v 77 — '    cz v zr z^ z^ — " 

,7 V z? z^ ^ — ^    c:' ZT V ■O' Z7 — ^   c; z? z? -zr z^ 

^ z> 27 zp z>~ a ZT zr zr zt — '    z^ zr v -v st ' 

Z7 Z? 27 27 ZT- ^      <? zT ^ Z? ZT -^     Z' Z^ Z^ ZT' ZT '' 

<7 S?' 7T Z^ Z>  ^    <7 Z7 V 27 Z7 ^      a 37 27 57 -^ 


(7 Z7 zr z7 ZT c^ z7 XT z? z7 /2 Z^ zr zP~' 

See    instructions    for    drill    eleven    on    following    page. 


/ 


28 

Hereafter,  each  lesson  should  begin  with  practice  of  the  compact 
two-space  oval,  drill  three,  drill  six,  and  drill  eleven,  and  there  should 
be  frequent  reviews  of  the  other  drills  so  far  practiced. 

In  the  large  oval  drill  and  its  modifications  in  capitals  A,  O,  and  C, 
the  motion  has  been  mainly  forward  and  backward,  while  that  used  in 
the  connected  small  o  drill  is  mainly  toward  the  right,  developing  the 
lateral  movement.  If  too  much  driving  force  from  above  the  elbow  is 
used,  the  letter  will  be  too  large.  If  the  position  is  just  right,  the  least 
possible  force  will  drive  the  hand  far  enough  to  form  the  o.  The  line 
connecting  the  letters  should  be  as  nearly  straight  as  is  possible  to  make 
it  at  the  required  speed.  If  too  pronounced  an  under-curve  is  used  in 
the  connective  lines  the  result  will  be  a  form  more  nearly  resembling 
small  a  than  o. 

In  this  style  of  writing,  small  o  and  letters  in  its  class  should  be 
one-sixteenth  of  an  inch  high.  The  letter  in  this  drill  is  of  that  height, 
and  it  should  be  used  as  a  basis  of  comparison  in  determining  the  height 
of  the  other  minimum  letters  a,  c,  e,  i,  m,  n,  r,  s,  u,  v,  w,  and  x.  Small 
r  and  s  may  be  made  one-fourth  higher  than  the  other  letters  in  the  mini- 
mum class. 

Wherever  there  is  an  angular  connection  as  in  closing  small  o  at  the 
top,  there  must  be  a  checking  of  the  motion  at  that  point;  in  fact,  a  stop. 
The  closing  of  o  is  so  quickly  done  that  the  stop  can  hardly  be  seen  even 
by  the  closest  observer. 

To  the  Teacher:  In  connection  with  this  drill  we  urge  teachers 
to  use  a  conversational  count.     In  passing  from  desk  to  desk,  criticise  the 


work  in  correct  rhythm.  Suppose  one  student  is  making  o  too  large, 
another  not  closing  it  at  the  top,  another  using  a  slow,  dragging  move- 
ment, another  making  a  narrow,  flat  letter,  and  still  another  bending 
over  his  desk  too  far.  The  criticisms  would  be  as  follows:  "Make  it 
smaller,  make  it  smaller;  close  it  up,  close  it  up;  you  stop,  at  the 
top,  you  stop,  you  stop,  every  time,  at  the  top.  How  long?  Not 
long;  but  you  stop,  everj'  time,  at  the  top.  Slide  along,  slide  along; 
round  o,  round  o;  sit  up,  sit  up."  Each  criticism  or  admonition  may 
be  repeated  until  the  error  has  in  a  measure  been  corrected.  The 
influence  will  not  be  lost  upon  the  rest  of  the  pupils,  but  those  who  have 
been  making  the  same  errors  will  almost  unconsciously  show  marked 
improvement,     s 

A  speed  of  ninety  or  more  to  a  minute  should  be  developed  and  main- 
tained. Ninety  in  a  minute  is  by  no  means  fast,  but,  while  permitting 
good  form,  it  is  fast  enough  to  force  light  motion. 

In  drill  eleven,  there  are  three  groups  of  five  letters  in  a  line,  and 
there  are  six  lines  in  the  drill,  making  ninety  letters.  These  should  be 
made  in  a  minute,  and  that  should  be  the  practice  speed.  As  in  capital 
A,  the  plan  is  to  make  each  group  to  a  count  of  ten,  and  then  move  the 
paper.  For  an  entire  line  the  count  would  be  1-2,  3-4,  5-6,  7-8,  9-10, 
move  the  paper,  1-2,  3-4,  5-6,  7-8,  9-10,  move  the  paper,  1-2,  3-4,  5-6, 
7-8,  9-10,  move  the  paper.  The  conversational  count  may  be  fitted  nicely 
to  the  rhythm  of  the  count  of  ten.  Hereafter,  drill  eleven  should  be  prac- 
ticed with  the  two-space  compact  oval,  and  drill  six  at  the  beginning  of 
each  practice  period. 


LESSON  13 

Make  this  a  general  review  lesson. 


The  Palmer  Method  is  a  text-book  on  practical  writing.     The  instructions  should  be  studied  and  followed. 


REGULAR 


SPECIAL  STUDIES   OF  THE  CAPITALS,  SMALL  LETTERS,  AND  FIGURES 


7i^%7. 


Cl^, 


'^.^-1/-^  C^  CZ^- 


—^/z^-^-t^.^^^^ ^^ — C^. 


TT 


Pupils  who  have  studied  and  followed  the  explanations,  suggestions, 
and  instructions  so  far,  will  have  sufficient  control  of  the  muscular  move- 
ment to  master  easily  the  letters  on  this  page. 

Those  who  have  not  been  thorough  in  studying  the  instruction  and 
practicing  the  drills  should  review.  Nothing  less  than  failure  can  follow 
superficial  study. 

The  capitals,  small  letters,  and  figures  are  given  at  this  point  for 


convenient  reference,  and  an  effort  should  be  made  hereafter  to  employ 
these  forms  in  all  the  written  work. 

One   lesson    each    week    should    be   devoted    to   special    study 
and  practice  of  the  capitals  until  they  are  mastered. 

Capitals,  small  letters,  and  figures  will  all  be  taught  thoroughly  in 
the  following  lessons. 


A  few  minutes  in  the  right  way  are  worth  more  than  hours  of  practice  in  the  wrong  way. 


30 


LESSON  14— Drill  12 


-a 27 27 27 


Cross  line  practice  is  very  helpful  in  developing  light,  elastic,  gliding  motion. 
First  make  the  letters  on  the  lines;  then  turn  the  paper  and  make  them  across. 


LESSON  15 
MORE  ABOUT  COUNTING 


In  writing,  as  in  music,  regularity  of  movement  is  an  important 
factor.  A  jerky,  spasmodic  motion  is  to  be  avoided,  and  successful  teachers 
of  writing  have  found  that  some  method  to  mark  the  time  of  making 
parts  of  letters  is  helpful.  Some  use  a  metronome,  some  a  chalk  box 
and  a  ruler,  others  musical  instruments;  but  we  prefer  that  wonderful 
machine,  the  human  voice,  and  a  process  of  counting  to  fit  the  letters. 
In  individual  home  practice  the  counting  process  is  of  as  much  value  as 
in  the  school-room,  and  pupils  should  learn  to  use  it. 

When  a  letter  is  poorly  made,  it  may  be  due  to  one  or  all  of  four 
causes — first,  the  position  may  be  poor;  second,  the  muscles  may  be  rigid, 


preventing  easy  action;  third,  the  mind  may  not  have  a  good  picture 
of  the  form;  and  fourth,  movement  direction  may  be  wrong.  As  an 
example,  when  small  m  and  n  are  made  too  sharp  at  the  top,  it  is  because 
there  is  not  enough  over-motion. 

The  special  object  of  drill  thirteen  is  to  develop  the  over-motion  for 
ra  and  n.  As  you  practice  this  drill,  count  1,  2,  3,  4,  5,  6,  7,  8,  9,  10,  for 
each  section,  or  use  a  verbal  count  as  follows:  Over,  over,  over,  over, 
over,  light,  light,  light,  light,  light.  In  the  first  line  the  exercise  should 
occupy  one-half  the  space  between  ruled  lines;  and  in  the  second,  the 
height  should  be  the  same  as  small  o,  one-sixteenth  of  an  inch. 


31 


Drill  13 


Remember  that  the  larger  part  of  the  right  arm  just  in  front  of  the 
elbow,  should  rest  on  the  desk,  and  the  third  and  fourth  fingers  of 
the  right  hand  be  bent  well  under;  that  the  position  of  the  pen  in  the 
hand  must  be  comfortable  and  the  right  arm  well  out  from  the  side. 


Now  push  the  hand  forward  and  backward  to  test  the  freedom  and  move- 
ment power.  If  the  muscles  move  easily,  let  the  pen  touchthe  paper,, 
moving  lightly  and  rapidly.  About  fourteen  completed  sections  of  the 
first  line  should  be  made  in  a  minute  and  sixteen  of  the  second. 


LESSON  16 
Drill  14 


Test  the  movement  by  tracing  the  first  stroke  in  the  air.  Start  the 
motion  below  the  base  line,  and  as  the  pen  moves  rapidly  upward  let  it 
strike  the  paper  at  the  beginning  point.  Drive  the  pen  through  the  exercise 
rapidly  and  lightly.  Make  four  connected  m's  before  lifting  the  pen, 
and  three  such  groups  across  a  line.  You  will  make  the  letters  too  large, 
irregular,  and  awkward  at  first,  and  will  have  trouble  with  the  union 
(connecting  lines),  but  keep  right  on.  Make  the  four  lines  in  a  minute 
and  move  the  paper  after  each  group.  As  taught  in  drill  thirteen,  lesson 
fifteen,  the  parts  of  small  m  are  made  with  over-motion,  but  to  use  an 
over-motion  between  letters  would  give  no  connective  line  and  hence  no 
dividing  line  between  the  letters.     Keep  in  mind  as  you  practice,  that  the 


over-motion  makes  the  parts  of  m,  and  that  the  opposite  or  under-motion 
forms  the  connecting  lines.  You  may  count  1,  2,  3;  or  slide,  2,  3;  or  over, 
over,  under.  Drill  fourteen  should  be  practiced  a  minute  or  more  at  the 
beginning  of  each  practice  period.  Four  drills  have  now  been  suggested 
for  use  at  the  beginning  of  every  practice  period.  They  should  be  prac- 
ticed, not  only  in  the  beginning  stages,  but  until  the  entire  course  has  been, 
mastered.  These  drills  furnish  the  very  best  movement  exercises,  and  at 
the  same  time  give  the  right  kind  of  practice  in  form  building.  Students 
who  thoroughly  master  them  in  size,  form,  and  speed  application  will  find 
the  remaining  drills  easy.  As  it  teaches  the  correct  use  of  the  under-motion 
in  connecting  letters,  small  m  is  perhaps  the  most  important  of  the  four. 


32 


LESSON  17 


From  this  point  each  lesson  should  start  with  the  compEict  two-space  oval;  drill  eleven,  small  o;  and  drill  fourteen,  small  m.     It  will  pay  to 
devote  from  three  to  five  minutes  of  each  practice  period  to  these  three  drills. 


Drill  15 


For  small  m,  a  count  of  three  is  used;  and  in  n,  a  count  of  two.     Thus,  the  count  for  drill  fifteen  will  be  1,  2,  1,  2,  1,  2,  1,  2,  etc.,  or  for  five  con- 
nected letters,  1-2,  3-4,  5-6,  7-8,  9-10.     The  speed  should  be  the  same  relatively  as  in  the  small  m  drill. 


LESSON   18 
Drill  16 


Make  the  small  m  in  groups  of  four,  three  groups  to  a  line,  and  five  or  more  rows;  then  turn  the  paper  and  make  groups  of  small  n.     Make 
frequent  comparisons  with  the  drill  as  you  practice. 


33 


LESSON   19 
Drill  17 


Smali  i  being  made  entirely  with  an  under-motion,  has  a  sharp  point  at  the  top. 
as  light  as  the  upward   strokes  and  try  to  make  them  equal  distances  apart. 

Drill  18 


Count  1,  2,  3,  4,  5,  for  each  group;  make  the  downward 


A  space  in  width  is  the  distance  between  the  points  of  small  u.     This  is  sometimes  called  a  lateral  space, 
letters,  count  1-2,  3-4,  5-6,  7-8. 

Drill  19 


For  each  group  of  four  connected 


.jtttt:ty.Jtytyt:;tyt^^^^ 


Extend  small  i  about  two  and  one-half  times  its  height,  cross  with  a 
short  horizontal  line,  and  the  result  will  be  small  t.  An  effort  should  be  made 
to  bring  the  upward  and  downward  strokes  of  small  t  together  at  the  top, 
but  if  a  very  short  narrow  loop  is  sometimes  made  as  a  result  of  rapid  move- 
ment, it  will  not  conflict  with  legibility.     The  small  t  should  always  be  a 


little  shorter  than  the  small  1  and  its  companions,  b,  h,  k,  and  f .  The  prac- 
tice speed  for  t  in  groups  of  five  is  twenty  groups,  or  one  hundred  letters, 
to  the  minute.  There  is  no  special  value  in  this  letter  as  a  movement 
drill,  but  a  little  practice  of  it  in  group  formation  will  be  an  aid  to  its 
mastery.  ' 


34 

As  you  gain  more  control  of  the  muscular  movement,  you  should  become  more  skillful  in  its  application,  and  the  result  should  be  constant 
improvement  in  form,  spacing,  and  uniformity  of  size.  Use  your  eyes  constantly,  comparing  your  letters  with  the  drills  you  are  trying  to  imitate; 
do  your  best,  and  rapid  improvement  is  sure  to  follow. 

LESSON  -20 

After  the  usual  practice  of  the  compact  two-space  oval  and  the  small  m  and  n  review  lesson  nineteen. 

Drill  20 


The  count  for  small  e  in  groups  of  five,  is  1,  2,  3,  4,  5.  Try  to  m's  on  lines  close  to  your  small  e  drills.  The  three  letters  should  beef 
inake  the  letter  but  one-sixteenth  of  an  inch  high.  For  purposes  of  the  same  height.  Making  small  e  in  groups  of  five,  twenty-eight  groups, 
comparison,  it  would  be  well  occasionally  to  make  rows  of  small  o's  and      or  one  hundred  and  forty  letters,  should  be  made  in  a  minute. 

LESSON  21 
Drill  21 


Wrong  practice  will  lead  you  in  the  wrong  direction.       The  instructions  tell  you  how  to  practice. 


Number  twenty-one  is  our  first  word  drill  with  a  capital.  Do  not 
neglect  the  study  of  the  motion  and  its  applications  to  form. 

Write  fourteen  or  more  words  to  a  minute,  and  do  not  let  them  occupy 
more  space  than  the  copies.     In  arill  six  the  final  line  in  capital  A  drops 


36 

below  the  base  line.  This  is  done  to  give  a  rhythmic  movement  drill. 
In  writing  words  beginning  with  capital  A  it  is  better  to  connect  the  last 
line  with  the  small  letters  following,  as  in  the  second  line  in  drill  twenty- 


LESSON  22 
Drill  22 


Write  fourteen  words  in  a  minute.     Write  a  few  lines  and  then  compare  your  work  with  the  drill.     Review  often. 

LESSON  23 
Drill  23 


_  Be  sure  that  the  motion  is  oval  in  starting  capital  O.     Trace  the  letter  with  the  pen  in  the  air.     Let  the  pen  strike  the  paper  when  moving 
rapidly  downward. 

If  all  conditions  are  favorable  and  the  movement  is  free,  about  sixteen  of  these  should  be  written  in  a  minute. 


36 


REGULAR 


LESSON  24 
Drills  24  and  25 


^sT?-:?'^  (f^'^iri  i^^T"?-^  </'?-^^'-^   if?"?^     ^    ^  ^    ^  ^    ^    ^    ^     <^ 


Study  the  upper  line  closely,  and  notice  particularly  that  the  nine 
exercises  at  the  right  are  the  enlarged  form  of  an  inverted  figure  six. 

Fix  clearly  in  your  mind  the  direction  of  the  moving  pen  as  it  comes 
into  contact  with  the  paper  in  making  the  beginning  loop.  Do  not  make 
this  loop  larger  than  it  is  in  the  drill.  For  business  writing  it  would  be 
better  to  make  a  dot  than  a  large  loop.  Energetic  practice  of  the  drill 
at  the  left  in  the  first  line  will  help  to  develop  the  right  motion.  In  that 
part  of  the  drill  a  count  of  1,  2,  3,  4,  5,  should  be  used.  In  the  nine  forms 
at  the  right  in  the  first  line,  the  count  may  be  1-2,  down  over;  or  down, 
over;  or  one  stop  for  each;  but  each  form  should  stop  abruptly  at  the 
base  line  in  a  blunt  stroke. 


-As  this  form  is  used  for  the  beginning  of  twelve  capitals,  it  should 
be  thoroughly  studied  and  practiced  now,  and  frequently  reviewed. 

In  the  lower  line,  observe  that  five  drills  extend  across  the  page,  with 
ten  parts  in  each  drill;  with  the  paper  held  in  the  right  position,  the  down- 
ward strokes  should  be  made  toward  the  center  of  the  body,  and  the  over- 
motion  is  applied  in  making  the  turns  at  the  top.  The  count  should 
be  1,  2,  3,  4,  5,  6,  7,  8,  9,  10,  and  sixteen  completed  exercises  should  be 
made  to  the  minute. 

Turn  to  page  twenty-nine  and  pick  out  the  twelve  capitals  in  which  the 
inverted  figure  six  is  used.  Use  thisstylehereafter  in  beginning  those  capitals. 

This  is  a  lesson  that  should  be  reviewed  frequently. 


LESSON  25 

You  should  not  forget  the  usual  three  to  five  minute  practice  period  devoted  to  the  compact  oval,  and  the  small  o  and  m  drills. 

Drills  26  and  27 


Study  capitals  M  and  N  closely  before  trying  to  make  them.  Com- 
pare their  parts  in  relation  to  slant,  height,  and  width.  Your  attention 
is  particularly  directed  to  the  finishing  lines  in  M  and  N.  Dropping  this 
line  below  the  base,  and  lifting  the  pen  without  stopping  the  motion,  forces 
freedom,  continues  the  rotary  motion   and  develops  an  automatic  move- 


37 

ment  preceding  and  following  each  letter,  so  that  the  motion  is  continued, 
even  when  you  are  not  actually  forming  the  letters. 

The  capital  M  should  be  made  in  a  count  of  1,  2,  3,  4,  at  the  rate  of 
thirty  a  minute,  and  capital  N  in  a  count  of  1,  2,  3,  at  the  rate  of  forty 
a  minute. 


LESSON  26 

Review  lessons  twenty-four  and  twenty-five. 

LESSON  27 

Perhaps  you  have  forgotten  something;  perhaps  you  were  about  to  begin  your  practice  of  drill  twenty-eight  without  the  review  of  the  compact 
oval,  and  small  o  and  m.     If  so,  do  not  forget  again. 

Drill  28 


//Lif-zTTzy  //L-t^-Tr-KLy  //^.--tr-zr-yty //c-^t^-zTTn^  //L-iT-Trn-T^ //Lir-2;-7n^ 


In  penmanship,  constant  repetition  is  essential,  and  in  connection 
with  drill  twenty-eight  the  best  results  will  be  secured  by  practicing  the 
word  several  minutes.  We  prefer  to  have  pupils  at  first  use  the  style 
of  capital  given  in  the  first  line,  in  which  the  finishing  stroke  is  carried 
below  the  base,  and  the  pen  lifted  from  the  paper  before  the  small  letters 
are  made.  Later  the  final  stroke  in  capital  M  may  be  connected  directly 
with  any  small  letters  following,  as  in  the  second  line.  You  are  expected 
to  write  six  words  on  a  line,  as  in  the  copy,  writing  from  fourteen  to 
seventeen  a  minute. 


To  the  Teacher:  If  you  have  studied  the  lessons  in  advance,  have 
practiced  the  different  drills  and  mastered  them  before  giving  them  to 
your  pupils,  a  good  plan  to  follow  in  word-practice  is  sometimes  to  sit 
at  your  desk,  or  a  pupil's  desk  writing  the  words  with  them  and  spelling 
as  you  write.  Thus:  M-o-o-n,  M-o-o-n.  This  will  enable  you  to  help 
your  boys  and  girls  to  master  the  correct  speed,  and  to  secure  uniform 
motion. 

Never  attempt  to  use  the  count  for  individual  letters  when  practicing 
words;  it  is  confusing. 


38 


LESSON  28 
Drill  29 


Make  a  few  lines  of  capital  N  as  a  movement  drill  before  practicing 
the  word  Noon.  Repeated  letters  and  words  should  always  be  considered 
movement  drills.  Strive  for  a  firmer,  lighter  motion  constantly.  Examine 
all  letters  and  words  practiced  with  special  reference  to  firm,  smooth 


lines,  their  direction,  size,  distances  between  letters,  height  and  width 
of  the  different  parts,  connecting  lines,  the  finishing  lines  in  the  final 
letters,  and  every  little  detail. 

Write  from  fifteen  to  eighteen  words  a  minute. 


LESSON  29 
FOR  STUDY  AND  COMPARISON 


(^(^    d^^lU^ald^     ^^cZ.=/«^.:^     c^-^^-X-X^ 

rTTTJ 


Small  a  is,  in  the  main,  a  reduced  copy  of  capital  A,  and  the  first  parts 
of  small  d,  g,  and  q  are  identical  with  it.  Fix  the  resemblance  in  the 
mind;  it  will  help  you.  In  business  writing  it  is  best  to  make  the  looped 
small  d.  It  is  just  as  legible  as  the  stem  and  can  be  made  more  rapidly. 
The  loop  below  the  base  line  in  small  g  should  be  made  without  finger 


motion.  We  favor  the  blunt  style  of  small  g  and  y  at  the  end  of  words, 
and  this  ending  should  be  shorter  than  the  loop.  Fix  in  your  mind  the 
length  of  this  abbreviated  g.  Small  q  is  a  little  shorter  below  the  base 
line  than  g.  The  g  ending  bluntly  below  the  base  line,  is  just  like  the 
figure  nine. 


39 


Drill  30 


It  will  pay  you  to  practice  the  small  a  drill  a  great  deal.  Try  to 
make  a  half-dozen  or  more  lines  of  letters  as  small  and  as  uniform  as  the 
copy.  Students  should  not  forget  to  study  the  copy  constantly  and  to 
make  frequent  comparisons  of  their  work  with  it.     A  count  of  1,  2,  should 


be  used  for  each  small  a,  and  in  connecting  five  letters  it  is  a  good  plan 
to  count  1-2,  3-4,  5-6,  7-8,  9-10. 

Small  a  in  groups  of  five  should  be  made  at  the  rate  of  seventy  a 
minute. 


LESSON  30 
Drill  31 


J^^^^^  X-JUXX  JU-d-Xd.  ^L^LXX^ 


rrm^  TT'TTT' f'TTTt^  rm-i^ 


Reckoning  small  o,  one-sixteenth  of  an  inch  high,  as  one  space,  small  g 
should  extend  three  spaces,  or  three-sixteenths  of  an  inch  below  the  base  line, 
while  the  loop  of  q  and  abbreviated  g  should  extend  two  spaces  below. 

The  loop  of  d  extends  about  two  and  one-half  spaces  above  the  base. 

Writing  which  is  good  in  other  respects  is  often  spoiled  in  the  written 


page  because  the  loops  are  too  long,  extending  into  the  lines  above  and 
below. 

The  count  for  each  letter  in  groups  of  five  should  be  1-2,  3-4,  5-6, 
7-8,9-10,  and  the  speed  should  be:  small  d,  from  sixty-five  to  seventy; 
g,  from  sixty  to  sixty-five;  and  q,  about  fifty  to  the  minute. 


Are  you  studying  the  instructions  7     They  tell  you  just  how  to  succeed. 


40 


LESSON  31 
Drill  32 


Review  lesson  thirty  before  you  study  and  practice  this  drill. 
If  you  use  your  eyes  to  good  advantage,  you  will  see  that  the  first 
g  begins  one  space  above  the  base  line,  there  being  no  initial  line  starting 


from  the  base;  also  that  the  first  parts  of  small  g  and  d  are  of  the  same 
height  as  a,  o,  m,  and  n,  to  which  special  reference  has  already  been  made. 
Practice  speed,  twelve  words  in  a  minute. 


LESSON  32 


The  basis  of  the  extended  loop  letters,  b,  f,  h,  and  k,  is  small  1. 
These  five  letters  should  extend  the  same  distance  above  the  base  line. 
The  practice  of  small  1  should  be  thorough  now,  and  it  should  be 
reviewed  often.  In  fact,  it  would  be  well  to  add  it  to  the  group  of 
compact  ovals,  and  small  m's  and  o's,  to  be  practiced  at  the  beginning 
of  each  lesson. 

Height — Reference  has  already  been  made  to  one-sixteenth  of  an 
inch  as  representing  a  space  in  height  for  the  minimum  (one-space) 
letters  a,  c,  e,  i,  m,  n,  o,  u,  v,  w,  and  x.  The  small  r  and  s  are  in  the  same 
class,  but  are  made  a  quarter  space  higher  than  the  others. 

These  minimum  letters  should  always  be  used  as  a  standard  of  one- 
space  measurement  to  regulate  the  height  of  all  other  small  letters.  On 
that  basis  small  1  should  be  four  spaces — four-sixteenths,  or  one-fourth 
of  an  inch  high.  As  there  are  six-sixteenths  of  an  inch  between  the  ruled 
lines  in  the  practice  paper  generally  used,  and  in  all  the  Palmer  Method 
practice  paper,  there  should  be  two-sixteenths  (one-eighth)  of  an  inch 
between  the  top  of  the  loop  and  the  ruled  line  above. 

It  should  be  remembered  that  a  space  in  height  is  the  height  of  the 
minimum  letters  in  the  style  you  are  practicing.     As  an  example,  in  copy- 


books used  in  former  years,  the  one-space  letters  were  one-eighth  of  an 
inch,  or  twice  as  high  as  in  these  lessons.  The  loop  letters  were  three 
spaces,  or  three-eighths  of  an  inch  high,  which  is  two-sixteenths  of  an  inch 
higher  than  the  loops  in  these  lessons. 

Movement  Used — In  business  writing,  all  loops  below  the  line 
should  be  made  with  pure  muscular  movement.  In  making  those  above 
the  line,  the  fingers  should  be  relaxed,  and  as  the  arm  slides  forward,  a 
slight  extension  of  the  fingers  will  help  to  make  the  upper  part  of  the  loop. 
The  combination  of  the  two  movements  is  perfectly  natural  to  most  hands, 
and  little  encouragement  need  be  given  to  the  use  of  the  fingers.  The 
student  must  guard  against  using  much  of  it.  Keep  an  eye  on  your  wrist 
to  see  that  it  moves  forward  and  backward  in  unison  with  the  other  move- 
ments. Under  no  circumstances  allow  the  fleshy  part  of  the  hand  in 
front  of  the  wrist  to  touch  the  paper. 

Cautions — You  will  find  your  first  difficulty  in  getting  enough  curve 
on  the  upward  stroke.  A  half  hour's  determined  practice  will  do  much 
to  overcome  this.  Keep  the  paper  at  such  an  angle  as  will  make  the 
downward  strokes  straight  toward  the  middle  of  the  body.  Above  all, 
preserve  unity  in  height,  in  slant  and  in  spacing.     Do  not  shade. 


41 


Drill  33 


There  is  a  slight  check  in  the  motion  on  the  downward  strokes,  but  no  pause  at  the  base  line, 
above  should  be  made  at  the  rate  of  from  one  hundred  to  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  to  the  minute, 
one  for  each  letter. 

LESSON  33 
Drill  34 

More  study,  more  practice.  Study  and  practice  should  be  constant 
companions  in  developmg  good  writing.  One  without  the  other  will 
lead  to  one-sided  results.     Don't  be  one-sided. 

Drill  thirty-four  offers  good  movement  practice.  Close  observation 
will  indicate  just  how  it  is  done.  The  small  traced  oval  is  about  one- 
half  the  capital  in  height,  and  the  upper  loop  is  also  one-half  the  entire 
height  of  the  letter.  If  you  have  a  sharp  eye  and  a  responsive  mind, 
you  have  been  able  to  grasp  these  details  without  any  suggestions,  and 


After  a  little  practice,  loops  as  good  as  the 
The  count  in  groups  of  five  is  1,  2,  3,  4,  S — 


you  have  gone  further.  You  have  noted  the  curve  in  the  main  downward 
stroke,  the  flatness  of  the  lower  loop  on  the  base  line,  and  the  dropping 
of  the  finishing  stroke  below  the  base. 

Six  is  the  count  for  the  traced  oval  and  two  for  L,  as  follows, 
1-2-3-4-5-6,  1-2.  The  count  of  1-2,  for  the  capital  L  should  be  a  Kttle 
slower  than  for  the  ovals.  This  exercise  should  be  made  ten  times 
on  a  line,  in  groups  of  five,  and  two  lines,  or  twenty  exercises  a 
minute. 


A  few  minutes  in  the  right  way  are  worth  hours  of  practice  in  the  wrong  way. 


42 


Drill  35 


Swing  for  the  L,  swing  for  the  L,  swing  for  the  L.  In  other  words, 
study  the  letter  closely,  and  swing  the  pen  in  its  direction  a  few  times 
before  making  it.  The  first  line  starts  about  one-half  the  distance  from 
the  base  to  the  top,  and  dips  under;  the  upper  loop  is  one-half  the  entire 
length  of  the  letter;  the  lower  loop  rests  on  the  base  line;  and  the  finishing 


line  is  carried  below  the  base.  This  letter  makes  one  of  the  best  move- 
ment drills  so  far  given.  After  each  group  of  five  the  paper  should  be 
moved. 

The  count  is  1-2,  for  each  letter,  or  slide  two,  or  slide  L,  or  swing  L. 
From  fifty  to  fifty-five  should  be  made  in  a  minute. 


LESSON  34 

Review  lesson  thirty-three. 

Drill  36 


Study,  practice,  and  compare. 

Begin  small  a  at  the  top  just  as  it  is  in  drill  thirty;  make  the  abbreviated  g  short  below  the  base  line,  and  be  sure  to  write  four  words  to  a 
line.     Practice  speed,  ten  to  twelve  words  a  minute. 

LESSON  35 
Drill  37 


Write  two  lines  and  then  make  careful  comparisons  with  the  models. 
Are  your  small  I's  shorter  than  the  capitals;  are  both  I's  the  same  height; 
and  do  they  cross  one  space  above  the  base?     Compare  slant,  the  parts 

Yoii  cannot  fail,  if  you  study  the  instructions  and  follow  them. 


of  letters  and  letters  complete.  Study  the  spacings  between  the  letters, 
and  try  to  show  improvement  in  each  line.  Practice  speed,  the  same  as 
for  drill  thirty-six. 


43 


LESSON  36 
Drill  38 


Small  a  should  be  reviewed  frequently  as  a  movement  drill. 

Drill  39 


The  first  part  of  small  a  serves  as  the  foundation  of  small  c.  In 
making  connective  lines,  an  over-motion  must  be  used.  If  an  under- 
motion  is  used  from  the  ending  of  one  c  to  the  dot  at  the  top  of  the  next, 
there  will  be  a  loop,  and  the  letter  will  be  too  large.     After  making  a  few 


lines,  compare  the  height  of  c  with  o,  a,  m,  and  n.  You  will,  of  course, 
frequently  compare  with  the  copy.  The  count  is  1-2,  3-4,  5-6,  7-8,  9-10; 
or  dot  over,  dot  over,  dot  over,  dot  over,  dot  over,  for  each  group  of  five. 
The  speed  should  be  sixteen  groups  of  five,  or  eighty  letters  a  minute. 


44 


LESSON  37 
Drill  40 


^  /7xy 


The  small  r  given  in  the  first  line  in  drill  forty  cannot  be  made  at 
a  high  rate  of  speed,  as  the  form  requires  a  checking  of  movement  at  the 
top  to  form  the  shoulder.  Study  the  parts  of  the  letter  shown  before 
the  first  completed  form. 

The  form  in  the  second  line  can  be  made  at  much  higher  speed,  and, 
while  somewhat  difficult  to  learn,  is  much  easier  in  execution  when  mas- 
tered. The  first  part  of  it  is  just  like  the  first  part  of  small  m  or  n.  The 
downward  stroke  is  retraced  to  a  point  about  one-fourth  of  a  space  above 
the  first  part;  a  stop  (hardly  noticeable)  and  a  dot  are  made  before  the 

Drill 


swinging  curve  to  the  next  letter.  If  the  connective  lines  between  letters 
of  this  style  are  made  with  too  much  under-curve,  perhaps  touching  the 
base  line,  they  will  more  nearly  resemble  small  x  than  r.  Guard  against 
this  fault. 

Close  study  of  the  form  while  practicing  will  be  necessary.  After 
its  mastery,  ninety  connected  letters  to  the  minute  will  be  a  good  rate 
of  speed.  Unquestionably,  the  first  few  trials  will  be  discouraging,  but 
faithful  practice  will  be  rewarded.     Stick  to  it. 

Eighteen  groups  of  five  should  be  made  to  the  minute. 


The  count  for  this  small  r  in  drill  forty-one  for  each  group  of  five 
is  1-2,  3-4,  5-6,  7-8,  9-10;  or  one-dot,  two-dot,  three-dot,  four-dot, 
five-dot;  or  one-stop,  two-stop,  three-stop,  four-stop,  five-stop.  A  con- 
versational count  similar  to  that  in  small  o,  drill  eleven,   may  be  used 


to  advantage  in  small  r,  thus — You-stop,  you-stop,  you-stop,  you-stop, 
at-the-top.  How  long,  do  you  stop,  at  the  top?  Not  long,  but  you 
stop,  every  time  at  the  top.  What  for,  what  for,  what  for?  To  make 
a  dot,  to  make  a  dot,  to  make  a  dot,  etc. 


Drill  42 


The  rate  of  practice  speed  in  this  drill  should  be  twenty  or  more  words  to  the  minute. 


Drill  43 


45 


There  is  no  initial  line  before  small  o;  it  begins  at  the  top. 

LESSON  38 


As  before  mentioned,  small  r  and  s  are  companion  letters,  and  both 
may  be  made  one-fourth  higher  than  other  letters  of  the  minimum  class; 
not  because  of  any  technical  rule,  but  rather  because  it  generally  is  agreed 
that  they  look  better  so  made.     Small  s  should  be  pointed,  not  looped. 


at  the  top,  and  entirely  closed  on  the  base  line.  Be  sure  to  use  just  the 
right  amount  of  under-curve  in  the  beginning  stroke,  and  the  width  will 
depend  upon  the  amount  of  curve  in  the  last  part.  Practice,  study,  and 
compare. 


Drill  44 


The  count  for  each  group  of  five  is  1-2,  3-4,  5-6,  7-8,  9-10.  A  conversational  count  similar  to  that  given  in  the  small  o  drill  could  be  used  to 
advantage;  thus,  swing  one,  swing  two,  swing  three,  swing  four,  swing  five;  or  curve  one,  curve  two,  curve  three,  curve  four,  curve  five.  Nearly 
or  quite  seventeen  groups  of  five  should  be  made  to  the  minute. 

LESSONS  39,  40,  41,  42,  AND  43 

At  least  five  lessons  at  this  point  should  be  devoted  to  reviewing  all  the  lessons  that  have  gone  before. 

THE  FREQUENCY  OF  REVIEWS 


To  Teachers  :  Assuming  that  teachers  of  the  Palmer  Method 
master  the  lessons  in  their  order  before  attempting  to  teach  them,  they 
are  to  decide  when  lessons  and  drills  have  not  been  mastered  and  need 


reviewing.  Without  knowing  the  pupils  and  seeing  their  daily  work  in 
penmanship,  it  would  hardly  be  possible  for  the  author  to  decide  with 
unerring  accuracy,  when  they  should  review. 


46 


LESSON  44 
Drill  45 


The  first  two  parts  of  small  w  form  u.  As  explained  in  lesson 
nineteen,  the  distance  between  the  points  in  small  u  represents  a  lateral 
(running)  space.  Keeping  this  space  in  mind,  carry  the  third  or 
finishing  part  of  small  w  one-half  space  to  the  right  of  the  second,  or 


finishing    point   in   small   u.     The  connecting  stroke  is  slightly  curved. 
Eighteen  or  twenty  groups  of  three  should  be  made  to  the  minute 
and  the  count  for  each  letter  is  1,  2,  3;  1,  2,  3;  1,  2,  3;  or  one,  two,  dot; 
one,  two,  dot;  one,  two,  dot. 


Drill  46 


LESSON  45 
Drill  47 

Small  X  is  simple  in  construction.      Study  closely  before  practicing  it.     The  crossing  may  be  made  either  upward  or  downward.     In  writing 
a  word  containing  it,  complete  the  word  before  crossing  the  letter.     Make  the  crossing  short. 


47 


Drill  48 


LESSON  46— Drill    49 


The  first  part  of  small  v  is  the  same  as  the  first  part  of  small  x,  and  it  is  ended  with  the  form  used  in  finishing  small  w.     Don't  close  this 
letter  at  the  top.     It  must  be  left  open.     Count  1-2,  3-4,  5-6,  7-8,  9-10,  for  each  group  of  five  letters. 

Drill  50 


48 

LESSON  47— Drill  51 


^J^AJJO^  ^I^IAA^  ^lAXA^  .-.Ua^J^ly 

Theloop  in  h  is  small  1,  brought  to  the  base  in  a  straight  line  on  the  7-8,  9-10,  for  a  group  of  five.     From  fourteen  to  fifteen  groups  of  five 

main  slant,  the  second  part  is  one  section  of  small  m.     Notice  that  the  should  be  made  in  a  minute. 

first  and  last  parts  of  small  h  meet  on  the  base  in  a  point.     Study  until  Study  an  inverted  h,  and  if  correctly  made  you  will  see  that  in  that 

you  see  just  how  it  is  done.  positi-n  it  is  small  y.     At  this  point  it  would  be  well  to  study  and  prac- 

,    A  count  of  1-2,  should  be  used  for  one  h,  and  a  count  of  1-2,  3-4,  5-6,  tice  small  y.     Count  1-2,  3-4,  5-6,  7-8,  9-10,  for  each  group  of  five. 

Drill  52 

7777^  7777^  7777^  7777^  ^77777 

LESSON  48 

Review  lessons  forty-seven  and  forty-eight,  and  then  give  attention  to  the  following. 

Drill  53 


^,..-^A^.x.X^yC7  ....^A^^^LX^Uy  — -VL.-cA^yCyCy  ^-"/i^L^cA^i^y  ^..-.-^^C-c-c-c-iS/ _--<^^w>f^^ 

The  practice  speed  should  be  twenty  or  more  of  the  first  two  words  and  sixteen  or  more  of  the  third  word  to  the  minute. 
Guard  against  making  h  higher  than  1.     All  loop  letters  above  the  base  should  be  the  same  length. 


THE 


LESSON  49 
REVERSE  OVAL  AND  ITS  APPLICATION 


An  application  of  the  reverse  oval  motion  is  made  in  forming  capital 
,J.  The'  reverse  oval,  it  must  be  understood,  begins  with  an  upward 
stroke  on  the  left  side.     Before  attempting  capital  J,  make  reverse  ovals 


four  or  five  minutes,  and  if  the  movement  is  then  light  and  uniform,  the 
copy  may  be  safely  practiced.  The  oval  is  used  as  the  developing  and 
driving  force. 


Drill  54 


W^pOp  Of  OjlOfOfOf 


Make  the  oval  to  a  count  of  six,  lift  the  pen  from  the  paper  at 
the  top,  and  without  checking  the  motion  swing  the  pen  in  its  natural 
course  above  the  paper,  to  the  right  and  below  the  base  to  the  point 
of  contact  with  the  paper  in  starting  the  letter.  Do  not  stop  the 
motion,  but  strike  the  paper  in  an  upward  course  at  full  speed  for 
the  beginning  stroke  of  J.     If  the  explanation  of  applied  motion  is  not 


fully  understood,  study  until  it  is,  and  then  fill  at  least  a  half  page  with 
the  copy. 

Do  not  neglect  the  form,  but  note  carefully  the  following  points: 
J  should  begin  with  an  upward  stroke  from  a  point  just  below  the  base 
line;  the  turn  at  the  top  should  be  round;  the  upper  part  should  be  a  little 
longer  than  the  lower  part,  and  twice  its  width. 


LESSON   50— Drill  55 


If  slant  is  troublesome,  study  and  practice  this  drill  faithfully. 

Drill  56 


l'^^^S:^-'^?<?--2.--£-e/i(^4?E-'^^ 


z.---e^Jv^y:z.^-7'n^z.,^.^J^^ 


This  copy  is  given  as  a  drill  on  both  movement  and  form.  From  the  beginning  stroke  of  J  to  the  finishing  of  small  s  the  pen  should  not 
be  lifted.  Write  the  word  from  beginning  to  end  with  a  steady,  light  and  uniform  movement.  Eighteen  or  twenty  words  to  the  minute  will 
be  a  fair  rate  of  speed  for  practice. 


I 

I 


so 


LESSON  51 
Drill  57 


c£c^<^c^c^^(^c^cfct 


Make  capital  I,  and  continue  with  the  reverse  oval.      The  count  should  be  two  for  I  and  six  for  the  oval,  as  follows:    1,  2;  3,  4,  5,  6,  7,  8.    Apply 
enough  speed  to  make  the  lines  smooth  and  clear-cut. 

Drill  58 

cfcfcfcfc^  cfO^cfcfcfcfcfcfcfce 


Question:  Where  and  how  does  capital  I  begin?  Answer:  Below 
the  base  line  with  upward  motion.  Question:  How  wide  is  the  upper 
part?  Answer:  A  little  less  than  half  the  width  of  the  lower  part. 
Question:  How  is  it  finished?  Answer:  With  a  full  left  curve  and  a 
dot  at  the  end.  Question:  WTiere  do  the  first  upward  and  the  first 
downward  lines  cross?  Answer:  At  theheight  of  small  o.  Question: 
What  part  of  the  space  between  the  ruled  lines  is  occupied  by  I?  Answer: 
About  three-fourths.     You  should  analyze  every  letter  you  practice  just 


as  completely  as  is  done  in  these  questions  and  answers.  Then  you 
will  have  good  mental  pictures  of  the  letters,  will  see  at  once  when 
they  are  poorly  made,  and  will  make  them  well  as  soon  as  you  have 
good  control  of  the  movement.  Without  the  good  mental  picture,  you 
will  never  write  well,  no  matter  how  perfect  your  control  of  motive  power 
may  be. 

With  a  count  of  1,  2,  for  each  letter,  make  forty-five  or  more  to  a 
minute. 


Drill  59 


v^^v-/^^    ^^^^^     ^^^^^ 


To  form  the  angle  at  the  left,  there  must  be  a  full  stop  in  this  style  of  capital  I 
the  instructions  of  an  earlier  lesson  about  stops  in  making  all  angular  connections. 

This  is  a  particularly  good  style  of  capital  I  to  use  in  beginning  a  word,  as  shown  in  the  following  drill 

Drill  60 


It  is  hoped  that  you  have  remembered  and  tried  to  apply 
Count  I,  2,  3;  or  1,  2,  swing. 


I 


51 


MOVEMENT   DRILL   DESIGN 

IT  is  often  a  good  plan  to  encourage  students  to  give  full  play  to 
their  inventive  and  constructive  ability  in  adapting  the  drills  to 
different  designs.  Such  work,  however,  should  be  done  largely 
out  of  school  hours.  A  great  variety  of  such  designs  from  schools 
where  the  Palmer  Method  is  in  use  may  be  seen  on  the  walls  of  the 
author's  offices.  In  the  drills  mentioned  are  mainly  used  the  straight 
line;  compact,  open  and  interlaced  ovals,  large  and  small ;  small  m, 
n,  e,  o,  c,  1,  h,  and  b.  Among  these  designs  are  houses,  carriages, 
crosses,  battleships,  and  many  curious  designs  for  which  we  do  not 
find  names.  Many  are  worked  out  in  colored  inks  and  the  effect, 
on  the  whole,  is  pleasing. 

Herewith  we  give  a  drill  that  is  a  favorite  exercise  with  many 
teachers.  Let  the  student  use  pencil  outlines  to  indicate  length  of 
lines  and  width  of  ovals. 


YOU  CANNOT  FAIL,  IF  YOU  STUDY  THE  INSTRUCTIONS 
AND  FOLLOW  THEM 


52 


LESSONS  52  AND  53 


^^-T' y^ ■?* — y^ 


-y^ — y- 


y ■/ y y' /- 


(7 5? Z> Z> V V ■Z' z; 27 z?  z? z^ V z^ Z7 —  iZ z> — ^ V v~ 


53 

Not  forgetting  or  neglecting  the  two-space  compact  oval  drill  with  which  each  lesson  should  start,  the  practice  periods  of  two  days  might 
well  be  spent  in  study  and  practice  of  the  letters  on  page  52. 

LESSON   54— Drill  61 

This  copy  furnishes  all  the  movement  drill  necessary  in  beginning  this  lesson.  Count  ten  for  each  drill,  two  for  capita!  S,  and  eight  for 
the  reverse  traced  oval.  About  sixteen  complete  drills  should  be  made  to  the  minute.  This  drill  is  especially  recommended  to  those  who  find 
the  development  of  a  light,  quick  movement  difficult. 

Drill   62 


Study  the  curve  of  the  first  stroke;    study  the  loop  at  the  top,  and  give  especial  attention  to   the  fact  that  the  loop  (upper  part  of  S)  is  one- 
half  the  entire  length  of  the  letter.      With  an  easy,  light  movement  m.ake  from  forty-five  to  fifty  letters  to  the  minute.     Count  1,  2,  for  each  letter. 

Drill  63 


The  angular  finishing  stroke  shown  in  drill  sixty-three  is  very  popular  with  many  excellent  teachers  of  business  writing.  Almost  the  same 
number  of  letters  should  be  made  in  a  minute  as  in  drill  sixty-two.  Its  practical  feature  is  the  direction  taken  by  the  finishing  stroke,  which 
may  be  joined  to  any  letter  following.     Count  1,  2,  swing;  or  1,  2,  3,  for  each  letter. 

LESSON   55— Drill  64 


Write  a  page  of  this  copy;    more  if  you  have  sufficient  time, 
the  beginning  to  the  ending  of  the  word. 


A  continuous  steady  movement  should  be   used.      Do  not  lift  the  pen  from 


64 


LESSON  56 
Drill  65 


In  this  drill,  capital  G  is  made  first  to  a  count  of  three,  and  then,  without  lifting  the  pen,  followed  with  six  revolutions  of  the  reverse  traced  oval. 
Make  seventeen  completed  exercises  in  a  minute.     Count  as  follows:  1,  2-3,  4,  5,  6,  7,  8,  9. 

Drill  66 


Study  the  form  of  capital  G  closely  before  attempting  to  make  it;  be  sure  that  you  not  only  know  when  you  make  a  poor  letter,  but  that 
you  know  why  it  is  poor.  One  bad  stroke  may  spoil  an  otherwise  good  letter.  Learn  to  locate  the  bad  strokes.  Make  from  forty  to  fifty  letters 
to  the  minute.     Count  1,  2,  3;  or  1,  stop,  3,  for  each  letter. 

Drill  67 


This  is  a  good  business  form.    Special  instruction  is  unnecessary.     Use  your  eyes.     Make  as  many  as  fifty  in  a  minute. 

Drill  68 


The  angular  finishing  stroke  gives  a  connective  line  for  any  letter  that  may  follow,  and  admits  of  joining  the  capitals  for  an  extended  drill 
as  well.      Count  1,  2,  for  each  letter,  or  1-2,  3-4,  5-6,  for  each  group  of  three.     Make  eighteen  groups  in  a  minute. 

You  aim  before  you  shoot.      You  should  study  the  instructions  before  you  practice  the  drills. 


55 


LESSON  57— Drill  69 


Nothing  can  be  better  at  this  stage  of  the  work  than  easy  words  constantly  repeated.     Through  a  series  of  repetitions,  strength  in  move- 
ment is  developed,  and  faults  are  seen.     Twelve  or  fourteen  words  to  a  minute  should  be  the  practice  speed. 

LESSON  58 
CAUTION  TO  THE  STUDENT 


Never  begin  to  practice  until  you  are  sure  you  know  how.  Languid, 
thoughtless  practice  should  be  avoided.  Put  ambition,  put  energy,  put  the 
fire  of  determined  will  behind  your  practice,  and  the  results  will  be  astonish- 
ing. Take  advantage  of  all  favorable  conditions.  Not  only  keep  the 
muscles  of  the  right  arm  in  a  relaxed  condition,  but  guard  against  tension 
in  any  part  of  the  body.     Keep  the  side  of  the  hand  and  the  wrist  free  from 

Drill   70 


the  desk;  keep  the  right  arm  well  out  from  the  side;  keep  the  right  hand 
in  front  of  the  eyes;  keep  a  right  angle  at  the  right  elbow,  and  remember 
that  the  propelling  power  is  located  above  the  right  elbow.  If  you  think 
you  are  in  a  good  position  for  writing,  test  the  movement  without  touch- 
mg  the  pen  to  the  paper,  and  study  the  conditions  under  which  you  are 
trying  to  work.     Be  sure  you  are  right  before  you  go  ahead. 


Not  much  movement  drill  of  a  special  character  is  necessary  in 
opening  this  lesson,  the  connected  small  p  affording  an  excellent  exercise. 
Study  the  form  with  care.  Note  particularly  the  point  at  the  top,  the 
loop  below  the  base  line,  the  length  above  and  below  the  base,  and  the 


point   where  the  left  curve  from  below  the  base  crosses  the  main  line. 

Sixty  connected  letters  should  be  made  to  the  minute.    Make  frequent 
comparisons  and  write  a  page. 

The  count  for  each  group  is  1-2,  3-4,  5-6,  7-8,  9-10. 


Drill  71 


Average  rate  of  speed,  twenty  words  to  the 
as  there  presented. 


minute. 


U  small  1  is  difficult,  turn  to  drill  thirty-three,  study  the  instructions,  and  practice  small  1 


r 


56 


REGULAR 


Drill  72 


z^^  __-^;^-'C-<l'-t^^^^-i:x?'^--^  __--;^G-<;>c-<--'^--<--^s^-^.--^ 


The  practice  speed  should  be  fourteen  words  to  a  minute. 

LESSON  59 
Drill  73 


j^^^j^j^j^  J^-j^j^j^j^  J^j^l^j^j^ 


Make  a  few  imaginary  letters  as  a  preliminary  movement  drill  before 
beginning  active  work.  As  will  be  seen,  nearly  all  the  main  oval  part  is  at 
th.e  left  of  the  beginning  stroke.  Count  1,  2,  and  repeat;  or  1-2,  3-4,  5-6, 
7-8,  9-10  for  each  group  of  five.     Move  the  paper  after  each  group  of  five. 


From  fifty  to  sixty  letters  should  be  made  '"i  the  minute.  Make  a  full 
pa^e  and  practice  steadily,  not  spasmodically.  This  letter  lends  itself 
readily  to  a  light,  easy,  swinging,  and  rhythmic  movement.  For  that  reason, 
it  is  an  excellent  movement  drill,  and  the  best  style  of  capital  P  to  adopt. 


Drill   74 


Also  make  a  page  of  this  letter.     It  is  a  good  movement  drill.     Count  three  and  be  sure  to  join  the  last  part  to  the  first  with  a  loop  a  little 
above  the  center  of  the  letter.    Forty-five  good  letters  should  be  made  to  the  minute.     Count  1,  2,  3. 

Drill   75 


Count  1-2,  3-4, 5-6,  7-8,  9-10,  for  each  group  of  five,  and  make  twelve  groups  or  sixty  letters  to  the  minute. 

LESSON   60 

Review  lessons  fifty-eight  and  fifty-nine. 


REGULAR 


57 


Drill   76 


Write  from  ten  to  twelve  words  a  minute,  four  to  a  line,  eight  inches  long.     This  is  a  good  movement  drill  if  properly  practiced. 

LESSON   61— BUSINESS  FIGURES 


Nothing  is  more  important  to  the  average  bookkeeper  or  office  clerk 
than  good  figures.  In  many  lines  of  accounting,  thousands  of  business 
figures  are  made  without  the  writing  of  a  single  word. 

This,  in  a  measure,  is  true  in  many  branches  of  statistical  work  con- 
nected with  railroad  bookkeeping  where  headings  are  printed  and  page 


after  page  is  filled  with  figures.  The  first  requisite  is  legibility,  and  its 
importance  cannot  be  emphasized  too  much.  Letters  in  a  word  may  be 
known  by  the  context,  but  each  figure  must  depend  upon  itself  for  legibility. 
It  is  very  important,  then,  that  each  figure  should  be  so  formed  that  its 
value,  in  groups  or  by  itself,  cannot  be  mistaken. 


AN   OBJECT-LESSON,  FOR  STUDY 


¥  J!-  ^  ■^  -^  ^  '^  •>  ^   "  Z_£_-^ 


Through  the  adoption  of  the  Palmer  Method  figures,  made  small 
and  well  within  the  spaces,  the  New  England  Telephone  Co.  has  reduced 
errors  of  its  employes  to  a  minimum,  and  saved  thousands  of  dollars  a  year. 

Figures  should  be  made  small;  students  sometimes  think  that  large 
figures  are  necessarily  plainer,  but  such  is  not  the  case.  Examine  care- 
fully the  diagram.  At  the  left  are  figures  that  are  absolutely  plain;  one 
could  not  be  mistaken  for  another,  and  yet  their  extreme  size  in  the  small 
spaces  makes  them  difficult  to  read.     At  the  right  are  the  same  figures, 


no  more  perfect,  but  not  so  large.  Please  note  carefully  that  these, 
surrounded  by  white  paper,  and  much  smaller,  are  more  legible,  even  at  a 
distance,  than  the  large  figures  at  the  left. 

Students  who  have  practiced  in  copy-books  almost  invariably  make 
figures  three  or  four  times  too  large.  Our  models  are  large  enough  for 
ordinary  use.  If  occasion  demands,  it  will  be  easy  to  make  them  larger. 
One-eighth  of  an  inch  is  perhaps  high  enough  for  ordinary  figures,  while 
in  some  places  it  will  be  an  advantage  to  make  them  even  smaller. 


58 


FOR  STUDY 


/ 


:i_^^^    /'^T^^^^ 


O       6 y  f  ^o 


HOW  TO  PRACTICE 


In  making  figure  one,  draw  the  hand  toward  you  with  a  quick  light 
motion,  sliding  on  the  third  and  fourth  fingers.  Uniformity  in  the  height 
and  slant  are  the  two  important  points  to  observe. 

The  development  and  application  of  a  lateral  oval  motion  will  aid  in 
the  construction  of  figure  two.  In  making  it  in  class  drill  a  count  of 
three  should  be  used,  thus — one,  two,  three,  one,  two,  three,  etc.,  or  dot, 
two,  three. 

Notice  the  exercise  preceding  figure  three  in  lesson  sixty-five.  The 
motion  used  in  that  exercise  will  produce  a  good  figure  if  properly  applied. 


A  count  of  three 
seven,  and  nine, 


One,  two,  three,  or  dot,  two,  three,  is  the  count  used. 
is  used  in  figures  four  and  five  also,  but  for  figures  si 
use  a  count  of  two. 

Several  lessons  should  be  given  to  drilling  on  the  figures  singly  before 
grouping  them,  but  as  soon  as  the  forms  are  mastered  and  the  student 
can  make  them  at  a  fair  rate  of  speed,  it  is  best  to  drill  in  miscellaneous 
order  somewhat  as  follows:  1,  0,  2,  6,  9,  8,  5,  4,  3,  0,  9,  6,  7,  2,  2,  8,  9,  3, 
5,  6,  9,  1,  5,  8,  6,  9,  5,  4,  6,  9,  3,  7,  8,  etc.  No  particular  order  is  necessary, 
but  the  aim  should  be  to  repeat  one  as  often  as  another. 


LESSON  62 
Drill  77 


LESSON  63 
Drill  78 


j2_ 


It  is  truly  interesting  to  watch  the  development  and  improvement  as  a  matter  of  fact,  no  two  students  will  be  able  to  agree  on  this  and, 

in  figure  practice  in  a  class  where  the  work  is  well  and  systematically  done.  since  we  are  going  to  devote  some  time  to  drilling  on  each  figure  during  a 

Two  weeks  should  be  devoted  to  this  practice  and  there  should  be  frequent  period  of  two  weeks,  there  is  little  use  in  attempting  any  arrangement  on 

reviews.  such  a  basis.     If  there  is  a  difference,  the  difficult  figures  should  be  given 

Some  teachers  place  great  emphasis  upon  the  order  of  simplicity,  but  most  practice. 

LESSON  64 
Drill  79 

^.  J2  ^  JP.:2  ^  ^.  JP  ^JZ^:2^J2^J2J2JZ   •2^^J2^JZa^^^ 
-^  ^  S.  J2  J2  j:?  JP.    ^  ^  ^^^J2J2^^^^aJ2^^J2J2J2^J2J2'^ 

As  soon  as  fair  progress  has'been  made  in  making  figure  two,  an  effort  should  be  made  to  bring  the  rate  of  speed  to  seventy-five  a  minute.     Count 
one,  two,  three,  or  dot,  two,  three,  for  each  figure  made  in  class  practice. 

LESSON  65 
Drill  80 

In  the  author's  classes  the  method  here  presented   of  teaching  figure  3  has  proved  more  satisfactory  than  any  other  that  he  has  tested.     The 
motion  produces  the  figure;  learn  this  motion  thoroughly.     Count  one,  two,  three,  or  dot,  two,  three,  and  make  seventy  figures  a  minute. 


The  Palmer  Method  is  a  text-book  on  practical  vrriting.     The  Instructions  should  be  studied,  and  followed. 


60 


V^~' 


Figure  five  is  in  a  large  measure  dependent  upon  the  horizontal  stroke  at  the  top  for  its  legibility.  This  horizontal  line  should  be  made 
last.  Study  the  form  as  well  as  practice  it.  About  seventy  good  figures  should  be  made  to  the  minute.  This  speed  may  be  increased  later. 
Count  one,  two,  three. 


LESSON   67 
Drill  82 

y^j^y/7^7  ^7  V  //  V  '7  ^7'7  '7  '7'7  ^7  '7  V  '/ ^7'/'7'  ^ 
7'  7  '7  ^7  ^7  ^7  ^7  '7  ^7  ^ 7  ^7  ' 7  ' 7  ' 7  ' 7 ^ 7  W  ^ 7  ' 7  ^ 7  W ^7  ^ 

Seven  extends  below  the  base.     Make  this  figure  in  a  count  of  one,  two,  at  the  rate  of  about  eighty-five  to  the  minute. 

LESSON  68 
Drill  83 

zj  J-U  a  ^iZU  iZ/U  UzZiI.  ^U,l7  zJL  iTL  1/  ^  i7  O- ^^  ^  i^  ^VV 

a  ij-U  a  t^  ij_z^u.a  u  /t^  ^  17 17  ^  17  u-  4/// 4///  u  u  ^  ^/  /ij^4 

Four  rests  on  the  base  line,  and  usually  the  last  part  extends  above  the  first.     Count  one,  two,  three,  and  make  from  sixty  to  seventy  a  minute. 


61 

LESSON  69 
V^  Drill  84 


// 


The  compound  curve  at  the  left  on  the  first  line  in  drill  84,  and  the  speed  should  be  from  ninety  to  one  hundred  figures  to  the  minute.     The 

arrow  in  the  first  figure  show  how  8  begins.  author  usually  makes  the  figures  on  the  blackboard  as  they  are  dictated 

After  a  few  minutes'  drill  on  figure  eight  at  a  speed  of  sixty  to  seventy  to  the  class.     A  fairly  rapid  penman  can  make  from  one  hundred  to  one 

a  minute,  miscellaneous  figures  should  be  introduced.     In  class  work  these  hundred  and  twenty-five  of  these  in  a  minute.     Compare  your  figures  with 

figures  should  be  made  from  the  dictation  of  the  teacher,  and  the  practice  the  copies  and  make  all  figures  small  and  disconnected. 

MISCELLANEOUS  FIGURES   FOR  STUDY  AND  PRACTICE 

^/-<5~  S'<3  y   i/-    C  ^  7  -^  ^^"^  ^  -^  aZ  ^^  7  ^  -^ 

C>  X  ^  y  :i   f  ^  /  y  ^  ^  'f  3  ^  (^  ^Jr  <sr  ji  s^s-' 

^^^f//:.^^  -2//v^  i/-Jlf  ^3  ^^  y  (^  3 

j/CyJZyi//^  ■       JL  C  ^  ^r^  ^^7  ^JZ^ 

^c^  C  ^  I/:  ^  .^  ^  <^  4^  ^(^^  (^  JZ^  c^a^ 

^■^-s-^^^yc>         -^  (^  4^       4/^-^5-       //3  r        ^(^^ 

C  /  ^  ^A  rj,   /  k3  J2  ^  y  '^  cZ  k3  ^3  y<^  <S' 

^i^JZ-^yCf  -3  ^  -f  (^  JZ^jT  <^  0,3-  3^^" 

^-C^y3S^3  3  .2.  c:f  'h^ f -^  ^ "f-^  f  ^  3- 

^y^-^^^^  ^J13-  3^r  1^  ^/^3  yJ2^3- 


LESSON  70 

Drill  85 

SPECIAL  POINTS  TO  OBSERVE 


Capital  E  is  made  with  an  application  of  the  oval  motion,  as  de- 
veloped in  capitals  O,  A  and  C,  the  application  varying  but  little. 

The  upper  part  of  capital  E  is  about  one-third  the  entire  height  of  the 


letter.  The  finishing  oval  should  not  exceed  one-half  the  entire  height, 
and  the  loop  marking  two-thirds  the  height  of  the  letter  points  downward 
at  about  a  right  angle  with  the  main  slant. 


(^-^csss  <Scsess  C(S(5(S& 


Practice  the  first  row  as  a  movement  drill.  Make  the  small  (upper) 
oval  first,  and  swing  into  the  lower  and  larger  oval  without  lifting  the  pen. 
Make  five  traced  ovals  for  the  upper,  and  the  same  for  the  lower  part, 
thus  permitting  a  count  of  ten  for  each  completed  exercise. 

The  abbreviated  E  in  the  second  line  is  used  by  good  business  penmen 
more  than  any  other,  but  the  form  used  in  the  next  line,  finished  with  an 
oval,  should  be  practiced  and  mastered.    The  count  for  each  should  be  1, 


2,  3,  or  dot,  2,  3.  From  forty-five  to  fifty  of  the  abbreviated  form  and 
but  few  less  of  the  other  should  be  made  to  the  minute.  Count  the 
number  of  letters  on  a  line,  and  make  as  many  in  the  same  space.  The 
abbreviated  capital  E,  followed  with  the  small  e,  may  be  practiced  as  a 
movement  drill  to  good  advantage  now  and  during  future  practice  periods. 
The  count  for  it  is  1,  2,  3,  4,  6,  6,  7,  or  dot,  2,  3,  4,  5,  6,  7. 
Review  this  lesson  often  until  you  make  a  good  capital  E. 


It  is  not  Palmer  Method  if  the  lines  are  tremulous.    Study  the  instructions  for  speed  requirements. 


88 
LESSON  71 
Drill  86 

The  framework  of  capital  B  Is  dearly  shown  in  the  models  below.  Without  it,  beginners  make  very  feeble  letters.  Although  usually  lost 
The  straight  line  startmg  at  a  pomt  about  three-fourths  of  the  distance  in  the  retraced  line,  the  author  considers  it  a  very  essential  part  of  the 
irom  the  base  IS  purely  a  guide  line,  a  prop  upon  which  the  remainder  rests,      letter. 

^{?/?/?/?  /3/3/3/3^  /3/3/3e/3 

Definiteness  is  essential  in  business  writing.     There  should  be  a  may  end  in  an  angular  form,  furnishing  a  connective  stroke  for  the  letters 

definite  starting-point  and  a  definite  ending-point  in  every  letter.     Every  following. 

curve  and  every  loop  should  be  definite  and  have  a  definite  place  in  the  The  count  for  capital  B  is  1,  2,  3,  and  a  fair  practice  speed  is  forty  to 

plan  of  construction.     In  studying  the  forms  of  the  letters  here  given,  the  minute  when  the  letters  are  disconnected,  and  a  little  higher  rate 

bear  this  in  mind.     Capital  B  may  end  in  a  dot  as  shown  above,  or  it  when  the  letters  are  connected  as  in  drill  eighty-seven. 

Drill  87 


LESSON  72 
Drill  88 


Study  small  b.  The  lover  part  of  the  letter  should  be  as  wide  as  the  a  fair  rate  of  speed.  Sixteen  groups  or  eighty  letters  to  the  minute  is  not 
loop  through  the  widest  part,  and  some  good  penmen  make  it  a  little  wider  a  high  rate  for  this  drill.  The  count  for  each  group  is  1-2,  3-4,  5-6,  7-8, 
than  this.  Do  not  make  your  letters  larger  than  those  in  the  copy.  9-10,  with  the  emphasis  on  the  finishing  point  in  each  letter.  The  con- 
Make  line  after  line  until  you  are  able  to  make  the  letters  easily  and  at  nective  stroke  is  slightly  curved. 


M 

LESSON   73 
Drill  89 


a^II^^Z-cM^J^^ll^J^MO-cMJ^l/Ucll 


Students  are  expected  to  practice  the  above  words  as  movement  drills.  The  speed  in  the  first  two  lines  should  be  from  twenty  to  twenty-five 
words  a  minute.  At  this  rate,  form  can  be  improved  while  movement  is  being  developed.  The  word  "  billing"  may  be  practiced  at  from  twelve  to 
fourteen  a  minute. 

LESSON  74 
Drill  90 


Study  the  form  before  attempting  the  drill.     Make  ten  sets  of  five  each,  or  fifty  small  k's  to  the  minute.     Keep  the  letters  down  to  the  size 
of  the  copies.     Count  1,  2,  3,  for  each  letter  with  a  slight  check  on  the  2. 

LESSON   75 
Drill  91 

This  writing  is  large  enough.     In  studying  size,  students  should  make  frequent  comparisons.     The  practice  speed  should  be,  for  the  first  word, 
twenty,  and  for  the  word  "  killing  "  twelve  to  the  minute.     See  the  following  page. 


6S 


LESSON   76 
TO   RELIEVE  MUSCULAR  TENSION 

It  is  often  advantageous  to  go  over  the  path  of  the  letter,  or  exercise,  write  with  strained  muscles,  is  to  place  a  weight  on  the  paper,  and  write 

with  a  dry  pen.     This  method  is  especially  helpful  to  a  student  whose  with  the  left  arm  hanging  down.     The  tension  of  the  right  arm  is  relieved 

muscles  are  hard,  and  who  finds  difficulty  in  overcoming  the  tendency  at  once. 

to  keep  the  muscles  of  the  arm  and  body  in  a  rigid  condition.     This  plan  Still  another  plan  to  relieve  this  tension,  so  common  among  beginners, 

has  been  suggested  in  former  lessons,  and  we  consider  it  of  sufficient  im-  is  to  select  some  easy  drill  like  o  or  m,  and  make  it  across  the  ruled  lines 

portance  to  receive  emphasis  here.  with  the  eyes  fixed  upon  some  object  at  a  distance  on  a  level  with  them 

Another  plan  which  the  author  has  found  helpful  to  students  who  when  the  body  is  fairly  erect. 

Drill   92 


66 

Small  f  is  a  little  shorter  below  than  above  the  base  line,  and  is  closed  on  the  base  line.     A  fair  rate  of  practice  speed  is  fourteen  groups  of  five 
letters  each,  or  seventy  letters  to  the  minute.     Count  1-2,  3-4,  5-6,  7-8,  9-10,  for  each  group. 

LESSON   77— Drill  93 


Write  several  lines  of  the  first  word  before  changing  to  the  second.     Write  twenty  or  more  words  in  a  minute. 


LESSON   78— Drill  94 


'^..fJfJA.^.Jfi£c 


Rate  of  practice  speed,  fourteen  words  to  the  minute.  Good  movement  leads  to  good  writing;  good  position  leads  to  good  movement.  Watch 
the  position;  watch  the  movement. 

LESSON   79 

Let  us  emphasize  the  statement  made  in  a  preceding  lesson  that  constant  repetition  is  necessary  in  developing  a  good  style  of  writing  for  business. 
Another  thing  for  the  student  to  bear  in  mind  is  the  fact  that  the  only  way  to  learn  to  execute  business  writing  is  to  practice  business  writing. 
Review  as  many  lessons  as  time  permits. 


REGULAR 


67 


LESSON  80 
Drill  95 


Compare  the  oval  of  capital  D  with  capital  O.  Do  not  neglect  to  make 
a  careful  study  of  D,  each  part  by  itself,  and  the  letter  as  a  whole.  Do 
not  drag  the  hand  over  the  paper,  but  keep  it  well  up  in  front  of  the  eyes, 
and  drive  it  along  firmly  but  lightly.  It  takes  a  little  time,  energy,  and 
enthusiastic  practice  to  make  a  good  business  penman,  but  it  is  encour- 
aging to  know  that  under  the  muscular  movement  plan  there  are  no  failures 


when  favorable  conditions  prevail.  Practice  capital  D  until  you  can  make 
forty-five  fairly  good  letters  to  the  minute.  Count  1,  2,  3,  for  each  letter. 
In  writing  the  word  "  Drumming"  do  not  lift  the  pen  from  the  begin- 
ning stroke  in  small  r  to  the  ending  stroke  of  small  g.  Regularity  and 
continuity  of  motion  are  veo'  essential.  Keep  the  pen  on  the  paper. 
The  word  should  be  practiced  at  a  rate  of  nine  to  a  minute. 


LESSON  81 
Drill  96 


JDo  not  make  the  beginning  part  of  capital  T  too  high;  it  should  be 
but  little  more  than  two-thirds  the  entire  height  of  the  letter.  Note 
particularly  that  the  last  part  curves  over  the  top  of  the  main  (first) 


part  without  touching  it.  Time  and  hard  work  will  be  important  factors 
in  developing  this  letter.  Be  earnest,  be  faithful.  The  count  is  1,  2,  3,  4, 
and  about  forty  letters  should  be  made  to  the  minute.  . 


68 


REGULAR 


Drill  97 


ys^_y 


You  will  see  that  this  capital  F  is  a  copy  of  capital  T,  with  the  crossing  added.     This  is  not  recommended  as  a  business  form,  since  it  cannot  be 
made  rapidly.     Many  of  the  forms  in  this  book  are  not  given  for  their  beauty,  but  because  ninety  per  cent,  of  our  best  business  penmen  use  them. 


LESSON   82 
Drill  98 


V  9^X 


In  twelve  of  the  business  capitals  we  have  the  small  loop  beginning. 
Turn  it  up-side-down  and  you  will  see  that  it  is  the  inverted  figure  six. 
Most  pupils  find  this  style  of  starting  capital  letters  somewhat  difficult 
at  first,  but  when  mastered  it  becomes  a  favorite.  It  is  of  sufficient 
importance  to  be  given  considerable  study  and  practice. 


A  careful  study  and  comparison  of  these  capitals  will  show  that  in 
F.  Qi  W,  X  and  Z  the  main  downward  strokes  are  curved  much  more 
than  in  H,  K,  M  and  N,  while  compound  curves  are  used  in  the  main 
strokes  of  U,  V  and  Y. 

Practice  the  first  part  at  the  left  of  the  line. 


LESSON   83 
Drill  99 


Capital  Q,  as  shown  above,  is  the  enlarged  form  of  figure  two  preceded  by  a  movement  drill.      Curve  the  main  downward  strokes  liberally. 
Make  the  lower  loop  flat  on  the  base  line  and  drop  the  finishing  curve  below.     Students  should  frequently  compare  their  writing  with  the  copies. 


Drill   100 


<52_  =2.    J^  .=2. 


The  mind  directs,  the  arm  and  hand  perform;  both  mind  and  muscle  must  work  in  harmony. 

No  matter  how  perfectly  the  muscles  of  the  arm  are  trained,  good  letters   cannot  be  made  unless  a  good  conception  of  form  is  in  the  mind. 
Capital  Q  should  be  made  well  at  the  rate  of  sixty  to  the  minute,  and  the  figure  two  faster.    The  count  in  each  case  is  1,  2,  3. 

Drill   101 


In  the  style  of  writing  here  presented  the  loop  of  small  g  extends 
three  spaces  below  the  base  line.  The  paper  should  be  held  in  such  a 
position  that  the  downward  strokes  are  pulled  toward  the  center  of  the 
body,  the  paper  being  changed  from  time  to  time  with  the  left  hand  to 
keep  its  position  relatively  the  same.  The  motion  should  be  purely 
muscular  throughout,  and  the  movement  in  making  the  loop  particularly 


quick  and  elastic.  Study  the  form  closely  and  note  the  crossing  of  the 
loop  with  a  left  curve  on  the  base.  Pull  the  loops  toward  the  center  of 
the  body  and  not  toward  the  left  elbow. 

In  groups  of  five  connected  letters  a  speed  of  sixty-five  letters  to  the 
minute  should  be  attained.  A  count  of  ten  for  each  group  of  five  will 
aid  in  regulating  the  movement. 


Drill   102 


y 


By  comparison  it  will  be  seen  that  q  is  a  little  shorter  below  the  base  than  g;  that  the  turn  at  the  bottom  is  made  to  the  right,  instead  of, 
to  the  left;  and  that  the  lower  part  connects  on  the  base  line  with  the  first.  On  account  of  the  check  at  the  connective  point,  fewer  letters  are 
made  to  the  minute  than  of  small  g,  but  the  movement  should  be  quick. 


LESSON   84 
Drill  103 


See  suggestions  at  the  top  of  the  following  page.  • 


70 

The  inverted  small  e  preceding  capital  H  in  page  sixty-nine  will  not 
only  aid  in  developing  the  small  loop  beginning  but  will  insure  freedom 
of  movement  and  lightness  of  stroke. 

Count  1,  2,  3,  4,  for  the  drill  and  first  part  of  capital  H,  and  1,  2,  for  the 


last  part.  In  making  the  last  part,  swin^  the  hand  to  the  same  direction 
as  for  the  beginning  of  capital  O,  but  straighten  the  stroke  from  its  center 
to  its  base.  Let  nothing  escape  you;  observe  closely  everj'  stroke,  no 
matter  how  minute  or  unimportant  it  may  appear. 


Drill  104 


'9/ 


With  an  easy,  swinging  movement,  make  thirty-five  or  more  capitals  of  the  above  form  to  the  minute  with  a  count  of  1,  2,  3,  4. 

The  beginning  loop  may  be  made  smaller  than  in  the  copy,  but  no  larger  in  business  writing. 

Capital  K  is  a  natural  companion  to  capital  H.    The  beginning  strokes  in  both  letters  are  identical  in  size  and  shape. 

LESSON  85 
Drill  105 


Careful  study  of  the  last  part  of  K  will  be  very  much  to  the  advantage  of  every  student.     Study  it  with  the  first  part  covered  with  a  piece  of 
paper.     Turn  the  copy  upside  down  and  study  it  in  that  position.     Notice  particularly  that  the  loop  grasps  the  first  part  a  little  above  the  center. 


Drill   106 


Thirty-five  to  forty  to  the  minute  will  be  a  fair  rate  of  speed.     Compare  your  capitals  frequently  with  the  copy. 
Are  you  studying  the  instructions  7     They  tell  you  just  how  to  succeed. 


REGULAR 


71 


LESSON  86— Drill  107 


/ii/^(yj^..O.'yT^^-}^T.--l,..<...<t'---Z^^         ^'^V---Z--«-^»->^-<?<?-^--'t--<»-'2---^       X^S^--z><><?<?-Z--<?->-2---?^-<?-Z--^      xV" 

This  is  a  most  excellent  word  to  practice  at  this  stage  of  the  work.  It  is  a  good  movement-developer.  Give  close  attention  to  size,  general 
appearance,  and  space  between  letters,  and  guard  against  irregular  movement.  Keep  the  hand  well  up  in  front  of  the  eyes  and  drive  the  pen  lightly. 
Write  a  half  page  of  the  copy  and  then  make  a  careful  study  of  your  work.  Try  to  write  each  line  better  than  the  preceding.  Three  words  should 
be  written  to  the  line. 


LESSON   87— Drill  108 
A  REVIEW 


^T^^T/-^  '^'X^^y^y^  y^^?^9/'^ 


Ipl^^Tl  7{7l?i7/^?i  7(Tl7l7l7l 


Work  faithfully  on   every  letter.     Repeat   the  forms  over  and  over   until  decided  improvement  can  be  seen. 
Study  length,  breadth,  curves,  and  connections  closely. 

Rate  of  speed  to  the  minute:  F,  fifty;  H,  thirty-five;   K,  thirty-five;  M,  thirty-five;  N,  forty. 


Make  frequent   comparisons. 


72 


LESSON   88 
Drill   109 
A  REVIEW 


7^ 7^7/-^^  'Tr^'T^r  T^^yT"^ 


Rate  of  practice  speed:   Q,  sixty;   U,  forty-five;   V,  fifty-five;  W,  forty  to  the  minute. 

Points  to  Observe — Capital  Q  is  the  enlarged  form  of  figure  two.  The  last  parts  of  U,  V,  and  W  are  shorter  than  the  other  parts,  and  the  first 
strokes  in  U  and  V  are  exactly  alike.  In  capital  W,  check  the  motion  a  little  at  the  base  line  in  the  first  main  downward  stroke,  as  this  will  aid  in 
the  construction  of  the  last  part. 

LESSON  89 
Drill  110 


Practice  this  compact  oval  as  a  beginning  drill.     Make  it  between  two  ruled  lines,  carry  the  pen  lightly  and  see  how  many  you  can  make  in 
one  row,  with  one  dip  of  ink. 

Study  and  compare  as  you  practice.     Drill  speed  to  the  minute  in  the  following  capitals:   X,  thirty-five;   Y,  forty;   Z,  fifty. 


73 


Drill   111 


'^    ^   ^    "^  ^         ^    ^    "^     ^    '^  ^^  ^     ^    ^^  ^  ' 

A^  A/p  A^  A^  A:?     A/p  yLo  A^  A:p  A^      Az?  A^  A^  A^  aLp 


A. 


REVIEW  WORK 

At  this  point  it  would  be  a  good  plan  to  review  all  tlie  essential  work   of  the  preceding  lessons.     From  one  to  two  weeks  should   be  spent 
in  such  practice. 

LESSON   90 
Drill  112 


Some  authors  make  the  loop  of  j  and  z  shorter  below  the  base  than  small  y  and  g,  but  we  make  no  distinction.     The  j  begins  like  a  small  i  and 
ends  with  a  loop.     Small  z  should  receive  careful  attention. 

LESSON  91 
SOMETHING  MORE  ABOUT  SIZE 

In  these  lessons  is  presented  a  .style  of  writing  that  is  easily  and  rapidly  executed,  and  though  large  enough  to  be  perfectly  legible  it  is  small  enough 
for  general  use.    Examine  the  writing  of  the  best  business  penmen  in  the  large  mercantile  centers  and  it  will  be  seen  that  this  is  true. 


74 

It  is  a  grave  error  to  present  for  practice  models  larger  than  the  pupils  are  expected  to  employ  in  their  ordinary  writing.  And  yet  many 
professional  penmen  continue  to  present  models  not  only  two  or  three  times  larger  than  good  business  writing  is  expected  to  be,  but  forms  that 
cannot  possibly  be  executed  at  commercial  speed. 

CAPITAL  AND  WORD  PRACTICE  AS  MOVEMENT  DRILLS 

movement  must  not  be  lost  sight  of,  and  the  pen  should  remain  on  the 
paper  from  the  beginning  to  the  ending  of  the  small  letters.  In  fact, 
all  the  copies  should  be  treated  as  movement  drills.  Words  ending  in 
"  ing"  have  been  purposely  selected  and  their  value  will  not  be  questioned 
if  they  are  rightly  practiced. 


In  the  following  copies  the  capital  and  word  practice  is  intended  to 
encourage  free  movement,  continuity  in  e.xecution,  and  better  control  of 
the  writing  muscles  than  has,  perhaps,  been  gained.  The  plan  is  to 
repeat  the  capital  until  it  can  be  made  at  the  speed  designated,  and  to 
follow  with  word  practice.     In  the  word  drills  the  value  of  a  continuous 


Drill  113 


C/C^-'t-^'^^-t-'^-'H-^---    L/^^^^f^^^'t^^<,.<?'-Z^'^--       Lyt.'^^C'^C-t,.-<y'Z,,''1^^      C'-^C.'-L-'^_-i---Z'^-'^-'       C^C-^ 
The  rate  of  speed  for  capital  A  is  from  seventy-five  to  eighty-five  to  the  minute  and  for  the  word  "  Ailing",  about  fifteen  to  the  minute. 

LESSON   92— Drill   114 

(3C^(3(3(3  (^(l^(2.(^e.   (3e(3(3(^ 


76 


Practice   the   word   "Calling"   at   fifteen   or   more  a   minute,  and  "Chiming"  at  the  same  rate. 

LESSON  93 
Drill  115 


LESSON  94 
Drill  116 


Open  the  lesson  with  a  drill  on  capital  O,  making  fully  sixty  to  the 
minute,  and  write  the  word  "  Oiling  "  at  the  rate  of  fourteen  to  the  min- 
ute.    Watch  position;  watch  movement. 

Capital  L,  rightly  practiced,  is  always  an  excellent  movement  drill. 

Questions  you  should  be  able  to  answer  intelligently:  Where  and  how 
does  the  beginning  stroke  start?     How  long  is  the  upper  loop,  compared 


with  the  length  of  the  letter?  Is  the  downward  stroke  a  straight  line 
or  a  curve?  Is  the  lower  loop  round  or  fiat,  and  what  part  rests  on  the 
base  line?     Is  the  final  stroke  finished  on  or  below  the  base  line? 

Compare  your  work  with  the  copy  in  reference  to  these  questions. 
Practice  speed,  sixty  letters  to  the  mmute.  Write  the  word  "Lanmng" 
with  a  very  light  motion  at  a  speed  not  less  than  twelve  to  the  minute. 


76 

LESSON  95— Drill  117 


Tn.TTinTnM  M9?i??i77i7?i  7?z??t9?t:^7?t 


^ 


Do  not  overlook  the  proportions  of  capital  M.     It  should  fill  a  square.     Practice  speed  for  M,  about  forty  to  the  minute,  and  of  the  word  "  Mill- 
ing", fourteen  words  a  minute;  a  higher  rate  of  speed  may  be  applied  by  some  pupils. 

LESSON  96 

Special  Notice — Pupils  who  cannot  use  and  apply  the  muscular  movement  fairly  well,  should  return  to  the  beginning  lessons  and  review 
them,   studying  carefully  all   the   instructions  regarding  position,   penholding,  and  methods  of  developing  movement. 

Drill   118 

TinnTlTl  7i?l?Z?l9l  ?l7in?l?l 


Capital  N  should  be  made  at  the  rate  of  fifty-five  a  minute.     Practice  speed  for  "  Nulling",  fourteen  or  sixteen  to  the  minute. 

LESSON   97— Drill   119 

^:^:^^^  ^^^^^  y^^%^'^^ 


REGULAR 


77 


Capital  H  should  be  made  at  the  rate  of  thirty-five  or  forty  a  minute,  and  the  word  "  Hauling"  about  fifteen  to  the  minute. 

LESSON   98 
Drill  120 


Forty  capital  K's  to  the  minute  is  a  fair  rate.  Pupils  should  not 
lose  sight  of  the  fact  that  motion  determines  form.  Take  care  of  the 
motion  and  the  forms  of  the  letters  will  develop  easily  and  naturally.  A 
careful  study  of  the  movement  as  applied  to  capital  K  will  be  helpful. 
After  making  the  first  part  of  the  letter,  the  hand  (with  the  pen  in  the 


air)  should  swing  below  the  base  line,  describing  an  oval  and  returning 
upward  to  the  beginning  point  of  the  last  part  of  the  letter.  Be  sure  to 
connect  the  parts  with  a  loop,  as  shown  in  the  copy.  Drop  the  finishing 
part  below  the  base  line.  Don't  forget  the  word  practice;  about  twelve 
words  to  the  minute  is  a  fair  rate  of  speed. 


LESSON  99 
Drill  121 


Practice  capital  P  at  the  rate  of  fifty  to  sixty  letters  a  minute;  the  word  "Pulling",  twelve  words  a  minute.      Some  pupils  will  be  able  to 
write  the  word  at  higher  speed  and  still  do  good  work, 

LESSON  100 

Be  sure  to  fix  in  mind  the  image  of  the  letter  before  attempting  it.     Study  closely  the  proportions  and  the  direction  of  every  stroke.     Make 
about  fifty  capital  R's  to  the  minute,  as  given  in  the  next  page. 


78 

Do  not  forget  that  your  advancement  depends  upon  movement,  and 
that  movement  depends  much  upon  position.  The  body  should  be  self- 
supporting,  with  the  feet  resting  squarely  on  the  floor,  and  should  not 
crowd  against  the  desk;  the  right  arm  should  be  well  out  from  the  side; 
the  right  hand  well  in  front  of  the  eyes;  and  the  paper  twelve  or  fourteen 
inches  from  the  eyes. 

If  the  wrist  or  side  of  the  hand  rests  on  the  paper,  all  motion  coming 


Drill 


REGULAR 

from  the  muscles  of  the  arm  will  stop  at  the  wrist  and  it  will  be  an  im- 
possibility to  use  muscular  movement.  Watch  the  wrist  and  the  side 
of  the  hand  closely.  Remember  that  the  propelling  power  is  above  the 
elbow,  in  the  upper  arm  and  shoulder. 

Write  line  after  line  of  the  word  "  Running"  with  a  light,  quick  mo- 
tion, and  compare  with  the  copy  frequently.  Twelve  to  fourteen  words 
should  be  written  to  the  minute. 


LESSON   101 
Drill  123 


L/^ 


Turn  to  lesson  fifty-four  and  practice  and  study  capital  S  in  accordance  with  the  instructions.     Enough  time  should  be  reserved  to  write  at  least 
one  page  of  the  word  "  Swelling". 

LESSON   102 
Drill   124 

Pupils  who  cannot  make  good  loop  letters  should  make  a  special  study  of  lesson  thirty-two. 


REGULAR 


79 


LESSON  103 
Drill  125 


As  explained  in  a  former  lesson,  capital  Q  !s  simply  a  large  figure  two.     It  is  a  good  movement  drill.     Practice  it  as  such. 

In  all  your  word  practice  a  special  effort  should  be  made  to  space  the  letters  evenly.    Study  your  written  lines  with  that  in  mind. 


LESSON  104 


Pupils  should  give  particular  attention  to  the  appearance  of  their 
finished  pages,  making  letters  and  words  conform  to  spaces.  The  capitals 
should  occupy  only  from  two-thirds  to  three-fourths  the  distance  between 
the  ruled  lines,  assuming  that  they  are  about  three-eighths  of  an  inch  apart. 

From  fifteen  to  twenty  capitals  should  be  made  to  a  line.  If  the  forms 
are   well   made,  a  page   of   capitals   written   in   accordance  with  these 


suggestions  will  present  a  very  pleasing  appearance.  See  drill  126. 
The  crossing  of  capital  F  at  the  top  of  the  following  page  is  above 
the  center,  and  the  final  stroke  at  the  crossing  is  small.  In  practice,  write 
the  full  word  every  time  the  capital  is  made.  Do  not  let  your  practice 
work  approach  scribbling.  Do  the  very  best  you  can,  not  part  of  the 
time,  but  all  the  time. 


You  aim  before  you  shoot.    You  should  study  the  instructions  before  you  practice  the  drills. 


80 


REGULAR 


Drill   126 


9^^^^  ^9^9^  99^^9 


LESSON   105— Drill   127 


^^^^^  J^^^^^  ^^^^^ 


Always  start  capital  I  with  an  upward  stroke  from  below  the  base  line.  The  upper  part  should  be  about  one-half  the  width  of  the  lower.  The 
crossing  of  the  beginning  with  the  main  downward  stroke  should  be  one  space  above  the  base  line.  Practice  the  detached  capital  as  well  as  the 
word  until  there  is  an  improvement  in  the  movement  and  its  application. 

LESSON    106— Drill  128 


Practice  and  compare,  and  then  practice  again.     Capital  J  is  twice  as  wide  above  as  below  the  base,  and  the  lower  part  is  a  little  shorter  than 
the  upper  part.     Pupils  who  find  the  letter  troublesome  should  review  lessons  forty-nine  and  fifty.  , 


81 


LESSON   107— Drill  129 


66£S£    £^S'(^S  S(S£ee 


Write  a  page  of  capital  E's  and  another  page  of  the  words. 

LESSON   108— Drill  130 


/3/3/3/3/2  /3/3/3/3/3  /3/3/3/3B 


Capital  B  was  discussed  at  considerable  length  in  lesson  seventy-one,  and  students  who  have  failed  to  master  the  letter  should  turn  to  that 
lesson  for  review, 

LESSON   109— Drill  131 


Make  your  letters  no  larger  than  the  copies.     Write  line  after  line  of  the  detached  capitals  before  writing  the  word.     Rate  of  speed  for  practice, 
fifty  to  fifty-five  capitals  and  fourteen  words  in  a  minute. 


82 


REGULAR 


LESSON  110— Drill  132 


. <C-'«--£y'-'t-^?^l^iSt,<?-'z^'^  ^-^^ 


-— ^-^-'^>i^^-i--2--<^^-«>^2--2^-^  ..^ ,--i^iy~L^C-'<U.^--yT^^ 


The  first  part  of  capital  T  should  be  no  more  than  two-thirds  the  height  of  the  entire  letter.      Give  attention  to  the  abrupt  stop  on  the  base 
line  in  the  first  part  of  the  letter.    Carry  the  last  part  up  and  over  the  first  part  in  a  graceful  curve.      Practice  the  word  as  well  as  the  detached  capital. 


LESSON   111— Drill  133 


Capital  W  should  be  very  closely  studied.  The  tendency  is  to  slant 
the  last  part  too  much,  tipping  it  away  from  the  first  part.  The  upward 
stroke  beginning  the  second  part  is  a  right  curve,  and  the  construction  of 
the  last  part  and  the  appearance  of  the  entire  letter  are  to  a  considerable 
extent  dependent  upon  that  line. 

In  making  the  first  part  there  should  be  a  stop  at  the  base  line.     This 


will  aid  very  much  in  the  construction  of  the  last  part  of  the  letter.  The 
last  line  in  the  letter,  it  will  be  noticed,  is  shorter  than  the  two  center 
strokes.  It  is  unlikely  that  students  who  fail  to  study  its  construction 
closely  will  learn  to  make  a  good  capital  W.  The  rate  should  be  between 
forty  and  fifty  letters  to  a  minute.  Do  not  neglect  the  word  practice. 
Write  about  sixteen  words  to  the  minute. 


The  last  part  of  capital  U  is  shorter  than  the  first  part, 
forty-five  to  a  minute,  and  do  not  neglect  the  word  practice 


LESSON   112— Drill  134 

Study  the  letter  until  you  have  a  good  mental  picture  of  it.     Make  U  at  the  rate  of 


83 


LESSON   113 
Drill  135 


An  otherwise  good  capital  V  will  be  spoiled  if  the  finishing  line  is  too  long.     Notice  its  length.    Study  and  practice  should  go  hand  in  hand. 
Do  not  neglect  either. 

CAUTION  TO  TEACHERS  AND  PUPILS 


The  development  of  good  business  writing  is  dependent,  first,  upon 
proper  clothing  of  the  writing  arm;  second,  upon  a  substantial  desk  or 
table  of  the  right  height;  third,  upon  a  good  position  at  the  desk;  fourth, 
upon  a  relaxed  condition  of  the  writing  muscles;  fifth,  upon  the  freedom 
of  the  wrist  and  the  side  of  the  hand  from  the  paper;  and  sixth,  upon 
concentration,  determination,  and  constantly  repeated  effort. 

Teachers  who  cannot  maintain  enthusiasm  throughout  the  writing 
period,  and  who  do  not  realize  the  necessity  of  constantly  repeated  cautions 
and  admonitions,  must  never  expect  to  secure  flattering  results. 

Teachers,  see  that  your  pupils  are  alert,  watchful,  and  practicing 
under  the  most  favorable  conditions.  Force  upon  the  inner  consciousness 
of  every  pupil  the  harmfulness  of  careless  practice  and  the  necessity  for 


making  every  stroke  according  to  instructions  and  in  the  right  direction. 

Pupils,  do  not  vehemently  assert  that  you  are  very  anxious  to 
become  good  penmen,  and  then  abuse  the  opportunities  within  your 
reach.  Learning  to  write  well  is  not  difficult  to  the  earnest,  careful, 
hard-working  pupil;  and  with  such,  results  almost  immediately  follow 
correct  methods  of  practice. 

Finger  movement  and  muscular  movement  are  antagonistic,  and 
the  student  who  makes  an  effort  to  use  muscular  movement  in  (he  writing 
class  only,  need  not  hope  for  success. 

Home  students,  not  having  the  advantage  of  the  directing  counsel  of 
good  teachers,  should  frequently  review  the  beginning  lessons.  You  can- 
not fail  if  you  follow  the  instructions. 


84 


Drill   136 

Practice  the  above  copy  in  sections.  Repeat  capital  I  until  the  form  is  good  when  made  rapidly,  follow  with  several  lines  of  the  word  "  am," 
and  continue  to  practice  each  word  in  the  copy  until  uniformity  in  spacing,  height,  and  slant  have  been  developed.  Then  write  a  page  of  the 
complete  copy  and  criticise  it. 

As  simple  as  it  looks,  there  is  material  for  several  hours'  practice  in  this  copy. 

LESSON   114— Drill  137 

The  same  method  of  practice  should  be  followed  in  this  drill  as  in  the  preceding  one. 

LESSON   115— Drill  138 

Begin  this  lesson  with  your  usual  movement  drills. 


y^-?-'?^^''^ 


First  practice  drill  one  hundred  and  thirty-eight  in  sections,  word  by  word.     Follow  with  a  full  page  of  the  completed  copy,  and  do  not  neglect 
to  criticise  results.     Height,  spacing,  and  slant  should  receive  special  attention. 


REGULAR 


85 


In  the  following  lessons  are  given  copies  in  line-writing  from  which  pages  should  be  written.  It  may  be  easy  for  some  students  who, cannot 
maintain  uniform  excellence  throughout  a  page  to  write  one  or  two  lines  well.  The  object  of  your  practice  should  be  attractive  work  and  commercial 
speed.  To  attain  this  end,  study  the  appearance  of  the  finished  line  and  page  from  time  to  time,  and  always  try  to  harmonize  the  writing  with  the 
space  it  occupies. 

LESSON  116— Drill  139 

Practice  this  copy  as  given.  Write  each  :yord  over  and  over,  until  the  motion  used  is  almost  automatic  and  a  marked  improvement  is  shown 
in  the  general  appearance.     Then  write  a  few  lines  of  the  drill  complete,  and  study  the  appearance. 


/\sP-e.^C^.d^U(^^7'-e^--'-^C^- 


LESSON  117— Drill  140 


Do  not  rest  a  moment  until  you  have  filled  one  page  with  this  copy;  then  judge  the  appearance  as  a  whole.     Do  not  write  larger  than  the  copy. 


^  LESSON  118— Drill  141 


<::-^.-?*-7'-^'-7<-is^. 


Make  a  few  lines  of  capital  D  before  writing  the  line. 

Do  not  lose  sight  of  the  fact  that  position  at  the  desk  has  much  to  do  with  the  development  of  writing.      Position  refers  to  feet,   body, 
arms,  wrist,  fingers,  pen,  head,  and  paper.     In  preceding  lessons  enough  has  been  said  about  these  to  make  extended  instructions  here  unnecessary. 

LESSON  119— Drill  142 


C^CR^^C^^^^C^yT^-f^-^^  ^i-^-OZ^Z^i-'t-^^-Z^ 


Uniformity  may  be  hard  to  maintain  in  this  copy.     After  writing  a  few  lines  pick  out  the  faults  and  endeavor  to  correct  them. 


86 


LESSON  120— Drill  143 


dxL^C''7''7-T^'i:Z^-'t''z.-<^t^, 


Solid  pages  are  wanted;   not  haphazard  writing. 

LESSON  121— Drill  144 


C-^-^J^C'TC^-'^^'Z-^ 


Practice  capital  H  as  a  movement  drill  a  few  minutes  before  writing  the  complete  line 
Maintain  equal  distances,  not  only  between  letters,  but  between  the  words. 


LESSON  122— Drill  145 
LESSON   123— Drill  146 


LESSON  124— Drill  147 


■^^fJl: 


REGULAR 

LESSON  125— Drill  148 


m 


'CZ--?'-€^ 


Drill  149 


a: 


LESSON   126— Drill  150 

Practice  capital  O  as  a  movement  drill  for  a  few  minutes  and  then  do  your  best  on  the  entire  copy, 

LESSON   127— Drill  151 


<S?Z-<7-2--t?2S< 


I 


LESSON   128— Drill  152 

This  drill  is  difficult  enough  to  merit  careful  practice  for  a  full  writing  period.     It  will  be  best  first  to  practice  capital  Q  as  a  movement  drill. 


83 


LESSON   129— Drill  153 


LESSON   130— Drill  154 


REGULAR 


l_-Zt^C<^-<--2>-e.<^^ 


LESSON   132— Drill  156 


LESSON   133— Drill  157 


(:ML^y^7'7-'l''i^'-T-'Z^'i:zl</. 


It  is  always  a  good  plan,  where  time  pennits,  to  practice  each  capital  at  the  beginning  of  the  line  as  a  drill. 


(/c:<..^cU^t.-e^. 


LESSON  134— Drill  158 


Do  not  neglect  the  movement  drills,  although  they  are  not  specially  mentioned  in  every  lesson. 


LESSON  135— Drill  159 


LESSON  136— Drill  160 


Capital  X  is  made  with  a  figure  six  inverted,  and  a  figure  six  right  side  up.     Keep  this  in  mind  when  making  it. 

LESSON  137— Drill  161 


LESSON  138— Drill  162 


90 


REGULAR 


J^ 


(J^Z— -Z^ 


LESSON   139— Drill  163 
LESSON   140— Drill  164 


Work  up  to  the  complete  copy  by  a  systematic  practice  on  the  capitals  and  words  separately. 

LESSON   141— Drill  165 


The  author,  in  common  with  many  teachers  of  business  writing,  has  found  the  practice  of  combinations  of  capitals  very  helpful  m  developir« 
accuracy  and  freedom.    This  is  an  excellent  part  of  the  course  in  which  to  introduce  such  drills,  but  tangled  and  difficult  combinations  should  be  avoided. 

Drill  one  hundred  and  sbcty-five,  if  rightly  practiced,  will  insure  light  movement  and  develop  constructive  abiUty.  About  twenty-two  of  this 
combination  should  be  made  to  a  minute.     It  will  be  profitable  to  devote  a  full  session  to  it. 

LESSON   142 
Drills  166   and  167 

Practice  the  combinations  of  capitals  several  minutes  before  practicing  the  small  letters.  A  perfect  mastery  of  the  following  combinations  will 
help  students  in  the  work  that  follows.     A  few  scattered  lines  will  not  meet  the  requirements.     Write  a  full  page. 


REGULAR  91 


LESSON   143— Drill  168 

a^^-z^/z^^j^  o^zjp  a^n^  i^^z^ 

Use  uniform  motion  from  beginning  to  end,  and  make  about  twenty-five  to  a  minute. 


LESSON   144— Drill   169 

This  affords  a  good  drill  and  a  good  test  of  accuracy  in  applying  movement.     The  last  downward  stroke  in  capital  H  is  a  left  curve,  is  it  not? 
Study  the  direction  of  the  pen  in  making  it,  and  then  strike  boldly.    This  will  be  a  good  drill  to  practice  frequently  at  the  beginning  of  a  lesson. 

Drill   170 


Use  your  eyes,  focus  your  mind  upon  your  work,  study  and  practice  earnestly,  and  you  will  be  pleased  with  the  results. 


92 


REGULAR 


LESSON  145 

Movement  drills  for  a  few  minutes  and  then  the  following: 


Drill  171 

(M^..^,-r.i^   CM^O^-.^^^   O-^id^^,-^^^ 

Practice  the  combination  of  capitals  several  times  before  making  the  small  letters.    Such  repeated  effort  wiU  be  helpful. 


LESSON   146 
Drill   172 


£?L-^i^<»-->T-^.-V^-^ 


C^L-'C^'^'-^i^'^'-'/-^ 


(^Z-'^^^^-Z-e^T'^-^ 


.^z^z^j^^LA 


-^^^,-^:--€-^^-z-'2^2:>^^^^^     ^,,-;7'-z;2^;^-2,'C?2>^i-'^i^^-j<, 


03 


cl-^-5^-tf=z-<^<:z-*>-i-t--?'t,.-Z^ 


^:l■-2-5^C'^=^-'^^C-^^-t>t<Z'Z^^^, 


94 


^.^/.<A,£^(C'C//^O^^^J^^'^^^^L^v~'^^, 


yJ/Lf^^-i^ 


^o/, 


■i-^/-- 


REGULAR 


95 


Count 


1-2 


1-2-3 


1-2 


1-2-3 


1-2-3 


1-2-3 


1-2-3 


1-2-3-4 


1-2-3 


1-2 


Number 

per 
Minute 


40 


70 


45 

45 
to 
50 


50 

40 
to 
50 


35 


45 

60 
to 
70 


^^ 


1-2-3-4 


1-2 


1-2-3-4 


1-2-3 


1-2 


1-2 


1-2-3 


1-2-3 


1-2 


1-2-3-4 


Number 

per 
Minute 


35 
to 
40 

50 
to 
55 

30 
to 
35 


40 


70 

50 
to 
CO 


60 


45 

45 
to- 
50 


40 


C^L^ 


C^ 


Count 


1-2-3 


1-2 


1-2-3-4 


1-2-3 


1-2-3-4 


1-2-3 


1-2 


1-2 


1-2 


1-2 


Number 

per 
Minute 


45 


55 


40 


35 


40 


50 


14  groups 
of  5  or  70 


16  groups 
of  5  or  80 


16  groups 
of  5  or  80 


13  groups 
of  5  or  65 


C^ 


1-2 


1-2 


1-2 


1-2 


1-2-3 


1-2-3 


1-2 


1-2 


Number 

per 
Mmute 


28  groups 
of  5  or  140 

14  groups 
of  5  or  70 


13  groups 
of  5  or  65 


14  groups 
of  5  or  70 


10  groups 
of  5  or  50 


14  groups 
of  5  or  70 


10  groups 
of  5  or  50 


25  groups 
of  5  or  125 


12  groups 
of  4  or  48 


18  groups 
of  5  or  90 


18  groups 
of  5  or  90 


1-2 


1-2 


1-2 


1-2 


1-2 

1-2 

1-2-3 
1 

1-2 
1-2 


Number 

per 
Minute 


12  groups 
of  5  or  60 


10  groups 
of  5  or  50 


18  groups 
of  5  or  90 


17  groups 
of  5  or  85 


20  groups 
of  5  or  100 


12  groups 
of  4  or  48 


12  groups 
of  5  or  60 


12  groups 
of  6  or  60 

18  groups 
of  5  or  90 


14  groups 
of  5  or  70 


14  groups 
of  5  or  70^ 


< 
o 

OU 

Q 

b] 
X 
H 

CO 

< 

Z 

O 

z 


u 
o 

l/i 

Zi 

a. 


4 


RETURN   EDUCATION-PSYCHOLOGY  LIBRARY 

TO— #►   2600  Tolman  Hall  642-4209 


"  ■    LOAN  PERIOD 


T2- 


::-n£  renewai 


^r 


ALL  BOOKS  MAY  BE  RECALLED  AFTER  7  DAYS 

2-  hour  books  must  be  renewed  in  person 

Return  to  desk  from  which  borrowed 

DUE  AS  STAMPED  BELOW 


SENtONILL 


■nnrr 


OCT  3  0  TO 


U.  C.  BERKELEY 


iUi-      OCT  1"  1996 


RIRIFCT  TO  RECALL 


23Hi:V^^ 


DEC  U  8  isss 


^ 


RETURN  TO  the  circulation  desl<  of  any 
University  of  California  Library 

or  to  the 

NORTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 
BIdg.  400,  Richmond  Field  Station 
University  of  California 
Richmond,  CA  94804-4698 


U.  C.BERKELEY  LIBRARIES 


C04mqM^5t, 


ALL  BOOKS  MAY  BE  RECALLED  AFTER  7  DAYS 

•  2-month  loans  may  be  renewed  by  calling 
(510)642-6753 

•  1-year  loans  may  be  recharged  by  bringing 
books  to  NRLF 

•  Renewals  and  recharges  may  be  made 
4  days  prior  to  due  date 

DUE  AS  STAMPED  BELOW 


OCT  0  8  2005 


It 


